The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have successfully located and recovered the bodies of six hostages, including US citizen Hersh Goldberg-Polin, from a tunnel in Gaza. The grim discovery was made beneath the city of Rafah, where the hostages had been held by Hamas since their abduction on October 7.
The other hostages identified were Eden Yerushalmi (24), Carmel Gat (39), Almog Sarusi (26), Alex Lubnov (32), and Ori Danino (25). The IDF confirmed that these individuals were among the 250 people kidnapped by Hamas during their attack on southern Israel, which claimed the lives of 1,200 people.
US President Joe Biden confirmed Goldberg-Polin’s death in a statement, saying, “Earlier today, in a tunnel under the city of Rafah, Israeli forces recovered six bodies of hostages held by Hamas. We have now confirmed that one of the hostages… was an American citizen, Hersh Goldberg-Polin.”
Goldberg-Polin, 23, was abducted from the Supernova music festival on October 7. He had been hiding in a bomb shelter with others when Hamas gunmen attacked, using grenades to breach the shelter. A video from that day showed him being loaded onto a pick-up truck with part of his left arm missing due to the attack. In a proof-of-life video released by Hamas on April 24, Goldberg-Polin described the captives’ conditions as “living in hell,” and it was evident his left arm had been amputated below the elbow.
His parents, who have been vocal in advocating for the release of hostages, addressed delegates at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago last month. On Thursday, they joined other relatives of hostages in a rally near the Gaza border, where his mother, Rachel Goldberg-Polin, called out to him: “Hersh! It’s Mom… I love you, stay strong, survive.”
The discovery of these bodies underscores the ongoing tragedy faced by families of those abducted during the conflict, as efforts to bring home all hostages continue.