The Israeli American hostage who was taken captive by Hamas militants connected Oct. 7 ― and whose parents tearfully begged leaders for a cease-fire astatine this month’s Democratic National Convention ― is confirmed to beryllium among nan six captives recovered dormant connected Saturday successful Gaza, joining nan ever-growing toll from almost a twelvemonth of unit successful nan region.
Israeli forces said they recovered nan bodies of six hostages successful a passageway nether nan confederate Gaza metropolis of Rafah: 25-year-old Ori Danino, 24-year-old Eden Yerushalmi, 27-year-old Almog Sarusi, 33-year-old Alexander Lobanov, 40-year-old Carmel Gat and 23-year-old Hersh Goldberg-Polin. The victims were allegedly recovered astir half a mile from wherever soldiers rescued 52-year-old Qaid Farhan Alkadi live past week.
Israeli subject spokesperson Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani claimed that Hamas killed each six captives soon earlier soldiers arrived to rescue them, while Hamas officials maintained that nan victims were killed by Israel’s ain airstrikes. Citing Israeli officials, Axios reported that it is still unclear precisely erstwhile and really nan captives were killed.
Goldberg-Polin, nan youngest of nan six victims, was a California autochthonal attending nan Nova euphony show successful confederate Israel connected Oct. 7 erstwhile Hamas militants attacked, sidesplitting hundreds of concertgoers and taking him and 4 others captive. Militants captured nan sixth person, Gat, from nan adjacent Israeli farming organization of Be’eri.
Part of Goldberg-Polin’s near limb was reportedly blown disconnected by a grenade during nan attack, and successful April a Hamas-issued video showed him live pinch an amputated near hand. The video led to Israelis angrily renewing protests against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s authorities for not doing capable to unafraid nan hostages’ merchandise and a cease-fire.
Netanyahu said connected Sunday that Israel will clasp Hamas accountable for sidesplitting nan hostages “in acold blood,” and that “whoever murders hostages doesn’t want a [cease-fire] deal.” Hamas charismatic Izzat al-Risheq said that nan hostages would still beryllium live if Netanyahu and his authorities had accepted nan projected U.S.-supported cease-fire woody nan militant group agreed to successful July.
President Joe Biden said pinch Goldberg-Polin’s parents connected Sunday greeting to springiness his condolences, according to a White House official. The president said successful a abstracted Saturday connection that Hersh’s begetter Jon Polin and mother Rachel Goldberg person been “courageous, wise and steadfast, moreover arsenic they person endured nan unimaginable.”
“I person worked tirelessly to bring their beloved Hersh safely to them and americium heartbroken by nan news of his death. It is arsenic tragic arsenic it is reprehensible,” said Biden, whose management continues to nonstop billions successful unconditional subject assistance to Israel. “Make nary mistake, Hamas leaders will salary for these crimes. And we will support moving astir nan timepiece for a woody to unafraid nan merchandise of nan remaining hostages.”
Goldberg-Polin’s parents person been pleading astatine nan world level for nan merchandise of each captives, gathering pinch Biden and Pope Francis, arsenic good arsenic addressing nan United Nations. The parents spoke to a crowd of nan DNC attendees connected Aug. 21, urging nan world to not trim nan victims arsenic conscionable numbers.
“This is simply a governmental convention. But needing our only boy ― and each of nan cherished hostages ― location is not a governmental issue,” Polin said connected nan stage. “It is simply a humanitarian issue.”
Even though nan DNC blocked Palestinians from being capable to speak connected that aforesaid stage, Goldberg-Polin’s parents utilized their speaking clip to besides advocator for nan Palestinians who person faced nonstop violence successful Israel’s war. In nan aforesaid clip play that nan six hostages were recovered dead, Israeli forces killed 47 Palestinians.
Hundreds of thousands of protesters filled nan streets successful Tel Aviv connected Sunday, demanding nan premier curate resign for putting his ain interests above nan return of hostages. Israel’s nationalist labour union, Histadrut, said Netanyahu’s authorities “abandoned” nan hostages” and that nan “entire state will guidelines still” on Monday for a wide strike.
In her connection astir Goldberg-Polin’s death, Vice President Kamala Harris did not mention a imaginable cease-fire woody that nan hostage’s parents and different families person been begging for. Instead, nan Democratic statesmanlike campaigner said that Hamas is “an evil violent organization” that “must beryllium eliminated.”
Harris’ “embrace of militarism” is simply a stark opposition pinch nan “courageous stance of galore Israeli hostage families who are protesting Netanyahu’s horrific argumentation of warfare supra each else,” Layla Elabed, co-founder of nan American pro-Palestinian Uncommitted Movement, said Sunday successful a statement. “Their anger reveals nan vulnerable consequences of our ain grounded overseas policy.”
“We must not hide nan 109 hostages still held successful Gaza, each a beingness unto themselves, and nan complete 16,000 Palestinian children killed successful a genocide fueled by American weapons ― portion of nan largest Palestinian civilian decease toll since Israel’s founding successful 1948,” she continued, adding: “Every life is precious, and it’s clip to dismantle nan level of quality worth successful our authorities and statement that places Israeli lives supra Palestinian lives.”