A US citizen, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who was kidnapped by Hamas on October 7, has been confirmed among six hostages found murdered in Gaza.
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| Hersh Goldberg-Polin (23) |
The bodies were discovered on last Saturday in a tunnel beneath the city of Rafah, ten months after Goldberg-Polin was abducted during a Hamas attack that killed 1,200 people.
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Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari confirmed that the six hostages were "cruelly murdered by Hamas just a short time before we got to them." President Biden also admitted Goldberg-Polin's death in a statement condemning Hamas, expressing his devastation and outrage.
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| Hersh's left forearm was blown off during a grenade attack before he was taken captive by Hamas terrorists |
Goldberg-Polin, 23, lost his arm during the massacre when a grenade exploded while he was trying to help others. Five of the six victims, including Goldberg-Polin, had been attending the Nova music festival when they were captured by Hamas, while one victim, Carmel Gat, was taken from her family’s kibbutz.
The bodies of the other victims—Eden Yerushalmi, 24; Carmel Gat, 39; Almog Sarusi, 26; Alex Lubnov, 26; and Ori Danino, 25—were also recovered.
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Israeli officials noted that it took many hours to identify the remains of the three men and three women found in the tunnel. Goldberg-Polin's family, who had recently made a public plea for his safe return, expressed their heartbreak in a statement, asking for privacy.
Goldberg-Polin was born in Berkeley, California, and moved to Israel with his family in 2008. At the time of his abduction, he was involved in a soccer program aimed at fostering peace between Israeli and Palestinian children. Despite the recovery operation, 101 hostages taken by Hamas are still believed to be held in Gaza.
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