Israel on Sunday identified the bodies of six hostages recovered from a tunnel in Rafah. The tragic discovery has triggered massive protests in Israel, with families of hostage and activists blaming the Benjamin Netanyahu government for the failing to secure a ceasefire deal with Hamas.
One of the victims, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23, was an Israeli-American who made headlines after his parents met world leaders and addressed the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in August. The parents, Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg, who are US-born immigrants to Israel, had met US President Joe Biden, Pope Francis and addressed the United Nations, seeking release of their son and other hostages.
Hersh was among the hostages who were abducted from a music festival in southern Israel around 11 months ago. He had lost part of his left arm during a grenade attack when Hamas invaded Israel on October 7, 2023. Hamas had released a video of the California native in April, wherein he was seen speaking under duress.
His family issued a statement on Sunday, stating, "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."
Four other hostages whose bodies were recovered on Sunday were also taken from the music festival. They were identified as Eden Yerushalmi, 24; Almog Sarusi, 27; Ori Danino, 25; and Alexander Lobanov, 33. The sixth victim, identified as Carmel Gat, 40, was abducted from Be'eri, a farming community in southern Israel.
The hostage families have called for a widespread protest on Sunday, seeking an immediate ceasefire and hostage release.
Earlier last week, eight hostages were rescued by Israeli military while several others were released during a weeklong ceasefire in November. Many others were killed in Israeli airstrikes or failed rescues. In one such instance, the Israeli forces mistakenly killed three hostages who escaped captivity in December.
