OAN Staff Abril Elfi
9:19 AM – Sunday, September 1, 2024
Six bodies of hostages have been found in a tunnel in Gaza, including that of Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin.
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President Joe Biden confirmed on Saturday that the bodies of six hostages that had been taken by Hamas were found in the tunnel in Rafah.
“I am devastated and outraged,” Biden said in a statement.
“Hersh was among the innocents brutally attacked while attending a music festival for peace in Israel on October 7. He lost his arm helping friends and strangers during Hamas’ savage massacre,” he continued. “Make no mistake, Hamas leaders will pay for these crimes.”
The family of Goldberg-Polin also confirmed the death of their son in a statement.
“With broken hearts, the Goldberg-Polin family is devastated to announce the death of their beloved son and brother, Hersh,” they wrote in a statement. “The family thanks you all for your love and support and asks for privacy at this time.”
The other five victims have been identified as Ori Danino, 25; Eden Yerushalmi, 24; Almog Sarusi, 27; and Alexander Lobanov, 33, all of whom were abducted from a music festival during Hamas’ October 7th attack. Carmel Gat, 40, was abducted from the nearby farming community of Be’eri.
Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari said that “they were cruelly murdered shortly before we were to rescue them.”
The news comes just 10 days after Goldberg-Polin’s parents appeared at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago and gave a speech that urged their son to “stay strong” and “survive.”
“This is a political convention. But needing our only son — and all of the cherished hostages — home is not a political issue. It is a humanitarian issue,” said his father, Jon Polin.
His mother, Rachel, who bowed her head during the ovation and touched her chest, said, “Hersh, if you can hear us, we love you; stay strong; survive.”
Israel estimated that 108 hostages, including dual nationals and Israelis, were still in Gaza prior to the bodies’ discovery. Officials believe that about one-third of that total is dead.
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