Israel’s military said early Sunday that it had recovered the bodies of six hostages from Gaza, including 23-year-old Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who had become widely known due to his family’s efforts to secure his release, including an appearance at last month’s Democratic National Convention.
Goldberg-Polin had served as a Passover program counselor in north Georgia, according to a Sunday statement made by Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr, and his family created an exhibit at Congregation Shearith Israel in Atlanta in Goldberg-Polin’s honor.
“May God comfort his parents, Rachel Goldberg and Jon Polin, his sisters, and all those who knew and loved him,” Carr wrote in an X post. “I will continue to proudly stand with and support Israel as it rightly defends itself from Hamas and all who wish to see it eradicated.”
Goldberg-Polin’s family released a statement Sunday.
“With broken hearts, the Goldberg-Polin family is devastated to announce the death of their beloved son and brother, Hersh. The family thanks you all for your love and support and asks for privacy at this time,” the statement said.
The Israeli military said they had located and recovered the six bodies from “an underground tunnel in the Rafah area in the Gaza Strip and returned them to Israeli territory.” The military is not giving anymore specifics about how the hostages were killed until autopsies are completed and made public.
In an statement from the official forum representing hostage families, the remaining five were identified as Carmel Gat, 40; Eden Yerushalmi, 24; Alexander Lobanov, 32; Almog Sarusi, 27; and Ori Danino, 25.
They are some of the youngest hostages that were kidnapped on Oct. 7 by Hamas militants. Five of them were taken from a music festival that day at the Israel Gaza border. The sixth was taken from a nearby border farm.
President Biden issued a statement late Saturday saying he was “devastated and outraged.”
Goldberg-Polin’s parents, Rachel Goldberg and Jon Polin, made an appearance at the Democratic National Convention on Aug. 21 to apply pressure to help bring hostages abducted by militants back home. They had met with world leaders, including the pope.
Biden’s statement said Goldberg-Polin’s parents “have been relentless and irrepressible champions of their son and of all the hostages held in unconscionable conditions.”
“It is as tragic as it is reprehensible. Make no mistake, Hamas leaders will pay for these crimes. And we will keep working around the clock for a deal to secure the release of the remaining hostages,” Biden’s statement continued.
Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari said the six were shot shortly before being rescued.
“According to preliminary information, they were cruelly murdered by Hamas terrorists shortly before we reached them,” Hagari told reporters Sunday.
Goldberg-Polin, a native of Berkeley, Calif., was abducted at a music festival on Oct. 7 during the Hamas attack on southern Israel that killed about 1,200 people, according to Israeli officials. About 250 hostages were taken by Hamas and other attackers.
The Israeli government estimates there are over 100 hostages still being held in Gaza, with about one-third of them believed to be dead.
Relatives and supporters of the hostages say Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not done enough to make a deal with Hamas to secure their release.
Negotiations have stalled for months. Netanyahu insists military pressure is the best strategy despite public disagreement with his top security officials.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive in Gaza following the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks has killed more than 40,602 people and injured more than 93,855, according to the Gaza Health Ministry as of Aug. 29.
In a video statement Sunday, Netanyahu said Israel has been “holding intensive negotiations with the mediator” in recent days to reach a deal but said Hamas had refused all proposals.
“Whoever murders hostages — does not want a deal,” he said. “For our part, we will not relent. The Government of Israel is committed, and I am personally committed, to continue striving toward a deal that will return all of our hostages and ensure our security and our existence.”
The head of Israel’s National Unity Party blamed Netanyahu posting on social media: “He should protect the abductees and not his coalition controlled by extremists.” There are calls for protests throughout Israel today.
WABE’s Meimei Xu contributed reporting.
