The IDF on Sunday morning released the names of the six hostages, Hersh Goldberg-Poulin, Uri Danino, Aden Yerushalmi, Carmel Gat, Almog Sarosi and Alexander Lobanov, who were recovered from an underground tunnel in the Rafah area. Apart from Carmel Gat, who was abducted from her home in Kibbutz Be’eri, the other five hostages were abducted from the Nova party.
The IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari said in a statement to the media that according to a preliminary assessment, the six hostages were murdered by Hamas terrorists shortly before the army reached them. Hagari also said that the bodies of these hostages were found in a tunnel in Rafah, located about a kilometer from the place where the Bedouin hostage Kaid Farhan Alkadi was found.
The tunnel where the six bodies were found was 20 meters deep. After Farhan’s rescue, the IDF suspected that there were other hostages in the area. Their exact location was unknown, but the activity to locate them was controlled and did not include an encounter with terrorists. Still, they were murdered by Hamas terrorists shortly before the forces located them.
Hersh Goldberg-Polin’s parents, both from the Chicago area, shared their son’s heartbreaking story at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago (Hostage Hersh Goldberg Polin’s Parents Receive Rousing Applause at Democratic Convention).
Vice President Kamala Harris released the following statement late Saturday night:
On October 7, Hersh Goldberg-Polin—an American citizen—was taken hostage by Hamas terrorists. He was just 23 years old, attending a music festival with friends. We now know he was murdered by Hamas. His body was recovered today in the tunnels under Rafah, along with five other hostages.
Doug and my prayers are with Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg-Polin, Hersh’s parents, and with everyone who knew and loved Hersh. When I met with Jon and Rachel earlier this year, I told them: You are not alone. That remains true as they mourn this terrible loss. Americans and people around the world will pray for Jon, Rachel, and their family and send them love and strength. As is said in the Jewish tradition, may Hersh’s memory be a blessing.
Hamas is an evil terrorist organization. With these murders, Hamas has even more American blood on its hands. I strongly condemn Hamas’ continued brutality, and so must the entire world. From its massacre of 1,200 people to sexual violence, taking of hostages, and these murders, Hamas’ depravity is evident and horrifying. The threat Hamas poses to the people of Israel—and American citizens in Israel—must be eliminated and Hamas cannot control Gaza. The Palestinian people too have suffered under Hamas’ rule for nearly two decades.
As Vice President, I have no higher priority than the safety of American citizens, wherever they are in the world. President Biden and I will never waver in our commitment to free the Americans and all those held hostage in Gaza.
The IDF’s announcement stirred up a quarrel between the hostage families who are led by radical leftist elements in Isael and hostage families who support the war effort in Gaza. After the IDF’s announcement, the headquarters of the families for the return of the hostages (left) announced: “Netanyahu abandoned the hostages! This is now a fact. Starting tomorrow, the country will shake. We are calling on the public to prepare, we are putting a halt to the country.” The chairman of the Gevura (Heroism) Forum, Yehoshua Shani, responded: “From day one you’ve attacked the government as if it were the one holding hostages, and thereby you strengthened Hamas. With all the pain, no one has the right to shake the country!”
President Yitzhak Herzog addressed the families of the six retrieved hostages, saying that on behalf of the State of Israel, he asks for their forgiveness: “I’m sorry that we were not able to return your loved ones home safely.” Herzog also said that “the blood of our brothers is crying out to us. Our sisters and brothers are still there, in hell. The supreme alliance between the state and its citizens is to maintain their safety. We have the sacred, brave and urgent task of bringing them home.”
