The bodies of six hostages, including Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg Polin, were recovered by Israeli forces on Saturday, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
The bodies of two women and four men captured during an attack by the terrorist organization Hamas on Israel on October 7, 2023, were discovered during an operation in southern Gaza. According to In a post on the Wall Street Journal by X (formerly Twitter), the Israel Defense Forces Confirmed The suspects were identified as Eden Yerushalmi (24), Carmel Gatto (40), Almog Sarsi (27), Alexander Lobanov (32), Sergeant Oli Danino (25) and Goldberg Polin (23).
“They were all taken hostage on October 7 and killed by the Hamas terrorist organization while in captivity in Gaza. The IDF and the Israeli army offer their deepest condolences to the families. Israeli security forces are taking all measures to bring all hostages home as soon as possible,” the IDF wrote.
The bodies of Carmel Gatto, Eden Yerushalmi, Hersh Goldberg-Porin, Alexander Lobanov, Almog Sarsi, and Sergeant Oli Danino were discovered and removed yesterday.
They were all taken hostage on October 7 and killed in captivity by the Hamas terrorist organization… pic.twitter.com/9VWYHNX0Ks
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) September 1, 2024
All of the hostages were initially believed to be alive, but the Israel Defense Forces discovered six of their bodies in a tunnel in Rafah, less than a mile from where Israeli forces rescued hostage Kaid Farhan al-Qadi on Tuesday, the WSJ reported. The Israeli military did not know the location of the six hostages at the time, but Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari told the outlet that they had been brutally murdered by Hamas shortly before Israeli forces arrived. (Related: Israeli forces rescue hostages in Gaza)
Goldberg-Polin's parents, John and Rachel, recently appeared on stage at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) to call for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. The 23-year-old hostage was last seen alive in a video recorded in April after being captured by Hamas at the Nova music festival in southern Israel, according to the WSJ.
“The hardest thing for all of our families is the lack of urgency from the negotiators,” Rachel Goldberg Pollin told the Journal last month. “We don't know if our son has another week to live.”
Hamas is still holding 101 hostages and the discovery has raised tensions, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu considering a deal with the terrorist group to free them. On Sunday, Netanyahu said release He released a video statement expressing his “personal determination” to bring the remaining hostages home and accused Hamas of obstructing negotiations.
“Whoever killed our abducted victims does not want a deal,” Netanyahu wrote in the post.
In a statement, the terrorist group Hamas blamed Israel and the United States for the casualties.
“It is the American occupation with its weapons that is killing our people every day, and the bodies of prisoners found in the Gaza Strip are the result of Zionist bombings,” Hamas said, according to the WSJ.
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