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Haggai, a 73-year-old Israeli-American man, was previously
thought to have been taken hostage in the attack, along with his
wife. A group representing hostages' families had said earlier
on Friday that Haggai died in captivity.
"Jill (Biden) and I are heartbroken by the news that American
Gadi Haggai is now believed to have been killed by Hamas on
October 7. We continue to pray for the well-being and safe
return of his wife, Judy," the U.S. president said in a
statement released by the White House.
Judith Weinstein, the wife of Haggai, is still being held
hostage in Gaza, according to Israeli media outlet Haaretz.
The Biden statement gave no further details about what happened
to Haggai.
Hamas attacked kibbutzim, border towns and a music festival in
Israel on Oct. 7 in a rampage that left 1,200 dead, with 240
people taken to Gaza as hostages, according to Israeli tallies.
Israel's retaliatory assault on Gaza has killed over 20,000,
according to the Hamas-run health ministry, with many more
missing and presumed buried under rubble.
Drawing on various information sources, an Israeli
government-appointed committee has been declaring some hostages
dead in absentia. Hamas has generally not confirmed these
accounts, but has warned that "time is running out" for the
hostages as the Palestinian militants' war with Israel nears its
12th week.
Haggai "will be remembered as a gifted man, with sharp intellect
and a love for wind instruments. ... He was a talented chef, and
alongside his wife, Judi, he lived a healthy, active lifestyle,"
his family said in a statement cited by Haaretz.
"We mourn the loss of our father and grandfather, and we
continue to hope and pray that his body will be returned to us
and that Judi is still alive and we will be reunited soon," the
family statement added.
According to an official Israeli tally, 129 people remain held
in Gaza after the rest were repatriated in a November truce or
recovered during a military offensive. Of those still in Gaza,
22 are dead, the Israeli government says.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said that between five
and 10 of the hostages hold U.S. citizenship.
(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in WashingtonEditing by Chris
Reese, Rosalba O'Brien and Diane Craft)
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