The Israeli military announced that it has recovered the bodies of six hostages from an underground tunnel in the Rafah area of Gaza. Among them was 23-year-old Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, whose abduction and family’s efforts to secure his release had gained significant attention, including an appearance at the Democratic National Convention last month.
Goldberg-Polin’s family expressed their devastation in a statement, thanking supporters and requesting privacy. The other recovered hostages were identified as Carmel Gat, 40; Eden Yerushalmi, 24; Alexander Lobanov, 32; Almog Sarusi, 27; and Ori Danino, 25.
President Biden condemned the killings, stating that Hamas leaders “will pay for these crimes” and reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to securing the release of remaining hostages. According to Israeli officials, the six were murdered by Hamas terrorists shortly before rescue efforts reached them.
Goldberg-Polin, a Berkeley, California native, was abducted during the Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7, which resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths and the capture of around 250 hostages. Israel estimates over 100 hostages remain in Gaza, with negotiations for their release stalled for months.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated Israel’s commitment to securing the release of all hostages, stating that Hamas has refused all proposals for a deal. Israel’s ongoing retaliatory offensive in Gaza has resulted in over 40,600 deaths and nearly 94,000 injuries, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
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