Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg-Polin parents of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, an Israeli-American, speak during the third day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center. © Jasper Colt / USA TODAY NETWORK
(Washington D.C.) – The Israeli military announced that six hostages, whose bodies were found in a tunnel in Gaza, were “brutally murdered” by Hamas. The discovery has sparked intense grief and anger across Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the killings, describing them as “coldblooded murder.”
Hamas, in response, did not directly address the accusations but blamed Israel for the deaths, later claiming that the hostages were killed by Israeli fire. The discovery has intensified criticism of Netanyahu, with some Israelis blaming his government for failing to secure the hostages’ release. Protests and strikes have been organized in response.
One of six hostages who were found dead is a 23-year-old American-Israeli, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, whose parents recently spoke at the DNC. Five of them had been captured at a music festival, and one was taken from a nearby village. President Biden expressed his devastation, particularly mentioning Goldberg-Polin. Hours before, Biden said that negotiators were close to negotiating a ceasefire and hostage release deal.
