Israel said on Sunday that it had recovered the bodies of six hostages. GazaThat includes a young Israeli-American man who has become one of the best-known captives held by Hamas as his parents met with world leaders and pressed for his release, including at the Democratic convention last month.
Following this news, calls for massive protests were made Prime Minister Benjamin NetanyahuMany of the hostages’ families and the general public blame the government for failing to bring them back alive. ceasefire agreement Negotiations on such an agreement with Hamas continued for several months.
Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23, was captured by terrorists during a music festival in southern Israel on October 7. The man, from Berkeley, California, lost part of his left arm to a grenade in the attack.
A video released by Hamas in April showed him missing his left hand and apparently speaking under duress, sparking fresh protests in Israel urging the government to take further steps to secure his freedom and that of others.
The army said he was one of six hostages killed as Israeli forces moved to rescue them. The bodies were recovered from a tunnel beneath the southern Gaza city of Rafah.
The others were identified as Ori Danino, 25, Eden Yerushalmi, 24, Almog Sarousi, 27, and Alexander Lobanov, 33; who were also abducted from the music festival. The sixth person, Carmel Gat, 40, was kidnapped from the nearby farming community of Beri.
“According to preliminary information, he was brutally murdered by Hamas terrorists shortly before our arrival there,” Israeli military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari told reporters.
Mr Netanyahu has taken a tough stance in the talks and has repeatedly said military pressure is needed to get the hostages back. According to Israeli media, he has quarrelled with top security officials who have said an agreement must be reached immediately.
A forum of hostage families called for a massive protest on Sunday (September 1, 2024), demanding a “complete halt to the violence in the country” for a ceasefire and the release of the hostages. “The entire nation will stand with the families of the hostages and protest against the cabinet against the continued neglect of the hostages,” it said.
President Joe Biden, who met with the parents, said he was “deeply saddened and angered.” “This is as reprehensible as it is tragic,” he added. “No doubt, Hamas leaders will pay a price for these crimes. And we will continue to work around the clock for an agreement to secure the release of the remaining hostages.” The Goldberg-Pollin family released a statement Sunday morning, just hours after the Israeli military said it had found the bodies in Gaza.
“With broken hearts, the Goldberg-Polin family is stunned to announce the death of their beloved son and brother, Hersh,” it said. “The family thanks you all for your love and support and asks for privacy at this time.” Biden said Hersh’s parents “have been courageous, intelligent and resolute, even as they endured the unimaginable.”
“They have been tireless and indomitable advocates for their son and all the hostages who have been held in inhumane conditions. I commend them and grieve with them more deeply than words can describe.” Goldberg-Polin’s parents, who are U.S.-born immigrants who settled in Israel, became perhaps the most high-profile relatives of hostages on the international stage. They have met with Biden, Pope Francis and others and addressed the United Nations, urging the release of all hostages.
On August 21, his parents addressed a quiet hall at the Democratic National Convention – after sustained applause and chants of “bring him home.” “This is a political convention. But bringing our only son – and all the beloved hostages – back home is not a political issue. It’s a humanitarian issue,” said his father, John Pollin. His mother, Rachel, bowed her head and touched her chest during the applause, saying, “Hersh, if you can hear us, we love you, stay strong, stay alive.” Both wore stickers bearing the number 320, signifying the number of days their son had been detained. It had long since become part of the morning ritual – tear off a new piece of tape, write down another day.
“I find it so amazing how nauseating it is every time,” Rachel Goldberg-Polin told The Associated Press before the 100-day anniversary in January. “And it’s good. I don’t want to get used to it. I don’t want anybody to get used to the fact that these people are missing.” She asked others around the world to adopt the ritual, not just for her son, who moved to Israel with his family at age 7, but for other hostages and their families.
She and her husband wanted to protect their son and others from being limited by numbers, describing Hersh as a music and soccer lover and traveler who planned to attend university after his military service ended. At events she often addressed her son directly, hoping he could hear her, inspiring him to live another day.
About 250 hostages were still being held as of Oct. 7. Before the army’s announcement of the latest discovery of bodies, Israel said it believed there were still 108 hostages in Gaza and that about a third of them were dead. In late August, the Israeli army recovered the bodies of six hostages in southern Gaza.
The Israeli military has rescued eight hostages, the most recent on Tuesday. Most of the others were released during a week-long ceasefire in November in exchange for the release of Palestinians held by Israel.
Several Palestinians were killed in two previous Israeli operations to free the hostages. Hamas says several hostages have been killed in Israeli air strikes and rescue efforts. Israeli troops mistakenly killed three Israelis who escaped captivity in December.