September 1st 2024.
It was a heartbreaking and devastating news for the family of 23-year-old Hersh Goldberg-Polin when they found out that he, along with five other hostages, was found dead in Gaza. The whole family was left in shock and sorrow, unable to comprehend the sudden loss of their beloved son and brother.
The recovery of their bodies, together with those of Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Alexander Lobanov, Almog Sarusi, and Ori Danino, was announced yesterday. According to reports from the IDF, they were cruelly murdered by Hamas terrorists before they could be rescued in a tunnel in Rafah, southern Gaza. These six individuals had been kidnapped from the Nova music festival back in October, except for Gat who was abducted from the Be'eri farming community.
Goldberg-Polin was a poet and an Israeli-American, who had been hiding in a bomb shelter during the abduction. He lost part of his left arm while trying to defend himself against the grenades thrown by the Hamas militants. Their bodies were discovered just half a mile away from where another hostage, Qaid Farhan Alkadi, was found alive the previous week. The overnight autopsies revealed that they had been shot in the head and other parts of their bodies.
Despite being neglected and unshowered for some time, there were no signs of torture on their bodies, except for one of them who showed evidence of being tied up. As his family tries to come to terms with the tragic loss, they released a statement asking for privacy during this difficult time. Goldberg-Polin's parents had launched a campaign for his release, meeting with prominent figures such as US President Joe Biden and Pope Francis, and even addressing the United Nations. They had also spoken at the Democratic National Convention, where the crowd chanted "Bring them home."
Biden expressed his outrage and devastation upon hearing the news of the hostages' deaths and promised that the Hamas leaders responsible for these heinous crimes will be held accountable. He also reassured the public that they will continue to work tirelessly for a deal to secure the release of the remaining hostages. However, it has been 10 months since the abduction, and there are still 108 hostages believed to be held captive in Gaza, with a third of them already dead.
The recovery of the six hostages' bodies has put Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in an even more difficult position. He has been facing protests and criticism for his failure to reach a deal with Hamas and his insistence on using military force to secure the hostages' release, resulting in thousands of Palestinian deaths. Even his top security officials have urged him to prioritize reaching a deal instead of continuing the military campaign.
Hamas has offered to release the hostages in exchange for an end to the current war, Israel's withdrawal from Gaza, and the release of Palestinian prisoners. Prisoner swaps have occurred in the past, with 107 hostages being returned in exchange for three times the number of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. Despite some positive signs of a ceasefire deal, the military campaign in Gaza continues, causing more pain and suffering for both sides.
As the country mourns the loss of these six individuals, the Israeli public and many of the hostages' families hold Netanyahu responsible for the failure to reach a deal. In fact, just yesterday, a sister of one of the hostages was hospitalized after being hit by a police vehicle during a protest in Tel Aviv, demanding for a hostage deal. The doctor who treated her was even arrested. Israel's President Isaac Herzog expressed his deepest sympathies, while Defense Minister Yoav Gallant apologized on behalf of the state and held the families close to his heart. The heart of the nation is shattered, and the search for justice and peace continues.
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