The Israel Defense Forces have recovered the bodies of six hostages from Gaza, including American citizen Hersh Goldberg-Polin. The bodies were found in a tunnel beneath the city of Rafah.
The other hostages rescued included Eden Yerushalmi (24), Carmel Gat (39), Almog Sarusi (26), Alex Lubnov (32) and Ori Danino (25).
The IDF has confirmed that it has recovered the bodies of six hostages in Gaza who were kidnapped by Hamas on October 7.
Hersh Goldberg, 23 ?️
Eden Yerushalmi, 24 ?️
Carmel Gait, 39 ?️
Almog Sarusi, 26 ?️
Alex Lubnov, 32 ?️
Ori Danino, 25 ?️
Can his memories be a blessing? pic.twitter.com/XucTjB6Yj0
— Israel ישראל (@Israel) September 1, 2024
US President Joe Biden also confirmed that Hersh Goldberg-Polin was among the bodies found in the Gaza tunnels.
“This morning, in a tunnel beneath the city of Rafah, Israeli forces recovered the bodies of six people held hostage by Hamas,” Biden said in a statement.
“We have now confirmed that one of the hostages… was an American citizen, Hersh Goldberg-Polin,” the president said.
The 23-year-old was one of 251 hostages taken during an attack by Hamas militants on southern Israel on October 7. Around 250 people were kidnapped when Hamas launched raids into Israel, killing 1,200 people. More than 100 hostages were released during a ceasefire late last year.
The parents of Goldberg-Pollin, who was abducted from the Supernova music festival, addressed delegates at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago last month.
On Thursday, the couple joined other relatives of the hostages at a rally near the Gaza border. “Hersh! This is mom … I love you, stay strong, stay alive,” Rachel Goldberg-Polin shouted into the microphone.
His son was hiding in a bomb shelter with others on October 7, but was surrounded by gunmen and attacked with grenades.
A Hamas video from that day showed him being loaded onto a pickup truck, missing part of his left arm, which had been blown off in the attack.
He appeared in a proof-of-life video released by Hamas on 24 April, in which he said detainees were living “in hell”. His left arm was amputated below the elbow.
