The Israeli Defense Forces have located and recovered the bodies of six hostages, including US citizen Hersh Goldberg-Polin, from Gaza. The bodies were found in a tunnel under the city of Rafah.
The other hostages rescued were – Eden Yerushalmi (24), Carmel Gat (39), Almog Sarusi (26), Alex Lubnov (32) and Ori Danino (25).
The IDF confirms it retrieved from Gaza the bodies of 6 hostages who were kidnapped by Hamas on October 7.
Hersh Goldberg, 23 🕯️
Eden Yerushalmi, 24 🕯️
Carmel Gat, 39 🕯️
Almog Sarusi, 26 🕯️
Alex Lubnov, 32 🕯️
Ori Danino, 25 🕯️
May their memories be a blessing 💔 pic.twitter.com/XucTjB6Yj0— Israel ישראל (@Israel) September 1, 2024
US President Joe Biden also confirmed that body of Hersh Goldberg-Polin was among those found in the Gaza tunnels.
"Earlier today, in a tunnel under the city of Rafah, Israeli forces recovered six bodies of hostages held by Hamas," Biden said in a statement.
"We have now confirmed that one of the hostages… was an American citizen, Hersh Goldberg-Polin," the president added.
The 23-year-old was among 251 hostages caught during the October 7 attack on southern Israel by Hamas terrorists. About 250 people were abducted on October 7 when Hamas stormed into Israel, killing 1,200 people. More than 100 hostages were freed during a cease-fire late last year.
The parents of Goldberg-Polin, who was abducted from the Supernova music festival, addressed delegates at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago last month.
On Thursday, the couple joined other relatives of hostages rallying near the Gaza border. "Hersh! It's Mom… I love you, stay strong, survive," Rachel Goldberg-Polin shouted into a microphone.
Her son had hidden in a bomb shelter with other people on October 7 but it was surrounded by gunmen, who attacked it with grenades.
A Hamas video from the day showed him being loaded onto a pick-up truck with part of his left arm, which was blown off in the attack, missing.
He appeared in a proof-of-life video released by Hamas on April 24 in which he said the captives were living "in hell". His left arm had been amputated below the elbow.
