The bodies of 6 hostages, including an American, were recovered by Israel
The Goldberg-Polin Legacy: The Israelis Have a Right To Keep Their Hostages. A Memorandum to the Families
Goldberg-Polin’s parents, U.S.-born immigrants to Israel, became perhaps the most high-profile relatives of hostages on the international stage. They met with Biden, Pope Francis and others and called for the release of hostages.
Hersh was described as a music and soccer lover and traveler with plans to attend university by his parents, who tried to keep him and the others from being reduced to numbers. At events she often addressed her son directly in the hope he could hear her, urging him to live another day.
Scores of Palestinians were killed in previous Israeli operations to free hostages. Several hostages have died in Israeli attacks and failed rescue attempts according to Hamas. Israeli troops mistakenly killed three Israelis who escaped captivity in December.
Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, when they stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, attacking army bases and several farming communities.
“It is as tragic as it is reprehensible,” he said. “Make no mistake, Hamas leaders will pay for these crimes. We will keep working around the clock to secure the release of the hostages.
A deal has been on the table for more than two months. Were it not for the delays, sabotage, and excuses those whose deaths we learned about this morning would likely still be alive,” it said in a statement.
The forum of hostage families called for a large protest on Sunday to push the implementation of a cease-fire and hostage release.
Israeli Interior Minister Receipts to the Hostage-Family Correspondence of Prime Minister Yoav Gallant
Israel’s ceremonial president said that the heart of the nation was shattered to pieces. Gallant said: “In the name of the state of Israel, I hold their families close to my heart and ask forgiveness.” There was no immediate comment from Netanyahu.
Israel’s Channel 12 reported that he got into a shouting match at a security Cabinet meeting late Thursday with his defense minister, Yoav Gallant, who accused him of prioritizing control of a strategic corridor along the Gaza-Egypt border — a major sticking point in the talks — over the lives of the hostages. The Cabinet voted against staying in the corridor over the objections of Gallant, who said that it would prevent a hostage deal.
“According to preliminary information, they were cruelly murdered by Hamas terrorists shortly before we reached them,” Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the Israeli military spokesperson, told reporters.
It said the bodies were recovered from a tunnel in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, around a kilometer (0.6 mile) from where another hostage, Qaid Farhan Alkadi, 52, was rescued alive last week.
Ori Danino was among the hostages that the army identified as being taken from the music festival. The sixth, Carmel Gat, 40, was abducted from the nearby farming community of Be’eri.
A native of Berkeley, California lost part of his arm in a grenade attack. In April, a Hamas video showed him but with his left hand missing, sparking new protests in Israel and making the government more attentive to securing his release.
Militants seized Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23, and four of the other hostages at a music festival in southern Israel during Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, which triggered the war.
A large-scale Israeli military operation was carried out in the West Bank, where a group of people were killed when a vehicle they were in was opened fire on. The Magen David Adom rescue service confirmed the casualties.
A strike on Israel to demand a cease-fire agreement for the hostages of Goldberg-Polin’s relatives and demanding an end to the world’s largest trade union
Goldberg-Polin’s parents, U.S.-born immigrants to Israel, became perhaps the most high-profile relatives of hostages on the international stage. They met with Biden, Pope Francis and others and addressed the United Nations, urging the release of all hostages.
“I ask for forgiveness from the families I hold close to my heart and in the name of Israel,” Gallant said after the remains were recovered. He asked the Cabinet to reverse its decision.
Hamas has offered to release the hostages in return for an end to the war, the withdrawal of Israeli forces and the release of a large number of Palestinian prisoners, including high-profile militants.
Izzat al-Rishq said the hostages would still be alive if Israel accepted the U.S. backed cease-fire proposal.
Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, a military spokesperson, said the army believed there were hostages in the area but had no specific intelligence. He said Israeli forces found the bodies several dozen meters (yards) underground as “ongoing combat” was underway, but that there was no firefight in the tunnel itself.
Israel’s largest trade union called a strike for Monday to pressure the government into a cease-fire after it said it recovered the bodies of six hostages, including an American man held by Hamas.
The Histadrut represents some 800,000 workers in such areas as health care, transportation and banking, and it said the strike would include the international airport, with all flights halted. The aim of the strike is to get Israel’s government to reach an agreement that will bring the remaining hostages home.
The new wave of protests in Israel would be fueled by raw anger and grief. The Israelis blame Netanyahu for failing to bring them back alive in the end of the war. Negotiations over such a deal have dragged on for months.
