Israel Reports the Death of an American-Israeli Hostage; Joe Biden Expresses Regret

Israeli media reported on Friday that "Gadi Hagi," an American-Israeli hostage, was killed while in captivity by Hamas, a group supported by the Iranian government, which is refusing to transfer his body to Israel. The Jerusalem Post identified Gadi Hagi as a 73-year-old grandfather, stating, "He was severely injured during a Hamas attack on October 7 while walking with his wife and was taken to the Gaza Strip, but died a few days later." According to the report, Gadi Hagi's body is still held by Hamas, and his wife, "Judy," is alive and also a captive of this terrorist group. U.S. media reported that President Joe Biden was informed of the death of this American-Israeli hostage on Friday and expressed regret over the incident. He committed on December 4 to continue efforts to free all hostages. According to official Israeli statistics, 129 people are still held captive by Hamas, including five to ten American citizens, and 22 have been killed but are still being held in Gaza. Hamas has warned that as the twelfth week of the war approaches, "time for the hostages" is running out. Hamas militants killed at least 1,200 people in the October 7 attack on Israel and took around 240 hostages, including children, women, and the elderly, of which over a hundred were released during a seven-day ceasefire in early December. Israel has begun air, sea, and ground attacks on Gaza, calling for the eradication of Hamas. The United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Japan, Israel, and several other countries have designated Hamas as a terrorist organization. Families of the hostages have reacted to the performance of Netanyahu's government and the accidental killing of three hostages by the Israeli army. A letter from Andrea Bocelli to a hostage released from Hamas captivity stated, "From now on, I will sing to you with enthusiasm, faith, and renewed energy." Constructive discussions among the U.S., Qatar, and Israel for the release of hostages have not yet resulted in an agreement. The continuation of Israeli attacks on Gaza persists; Netanyahu stated that the war will not stop until the hostages are freed and Hamas is destroyed. Families of Israeli hostages have called for the UN Secretary-General's efforts for their release.