Six bodies found in a Gaza tunnel on Saturday were identified as hostages taken by Hamas terrorists, including Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, President Biden confirmed. Goldberg-Polin, 23, was found in a tunnel beneath the Gazan city of Rafah on Saturday, nearly 10 months after his kidnapping during the attack that claimed 1,200 lives.
Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari said that the six people were "cruelly murdered by Hamas just a short before we got to them." Biden also confirmed in a statement that Goldberg-Polin was "killed." According to Axios, Israeli officials said that it took "many hours" to identify the remains of the three men and three women that were recovered.
Cruelly Killed by Hamas
"I am devastated and outraged," Biden said in a statement. "Hersh was among the innocents brutally attacked while attending a music festival for peace in Israel on October 7. He lost his arm helping friends and strangers during Hamas' savage massacre," he continued.
"Make no mistake, Hamas leaders will pay for these crimes."
The mourning family of Goldberg-Polin also confirmed that their son was among those found dead on Saturday in a tunnel beneath the city of Rafah.
"With broken hearts, the Goldberg-Polin family is devastated to announce the death of their beloved son and brother, Hersh," they wrote in a statement.
"The family thanks you all for your love and support and asks for privacy at this time."
The other victims found were Eden Yerushalmi, 24, Carmel Gat, 39, Almog Sarusi, 26, Alex Lubnov, 26, and Ori Danino, 25.
Five of the killed had been at the Nova music festival when Hamas terrorists attacked, killing festivalgoers and taking others hostage. Gat was at her family's kibbutz when she was captured.
The sixth, Carmel Gat, 40, was abducted from the nearby farming community of Be'eri.
Goldberg-Polin had lost his arm due to a grenade explosion during the attack.
Hamas Brutality Continues
According to Israel Hayom, Danino—like Goldberg-Polin—escaped the initial attack but was captured when he went back to try to rescue three friends who had also been taken hostage.
Yerushalmi turned 24 on her first Saturday in captivity.
She managed to call her mother and sister during the Hamas assault on the festival and stayed on the line for four hours while trying to escape, though her efforts were ultimately thwarted by the terrorists.
"Shani, they caught me, they caught me," Yerushalmi told her sister before uttering the haunting final words she would say to her family: "Find me. Okay?"
Late Saturday, the IDF announced that several bodies possibly belonging to kidnapped Israeli hostages had been found in Gaza.
The military did not immediately verify if the remains were those of hostages or reveal the number found, stating that more information would be provided after further examination.
This tragic development follows closely on the heels of Goldberg-Polin's parents' appearance at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago ten days earlier, where they delivered a heartfelt speech urging their son to "stay strong" and "survive."
"This is a political convention. But needing our only son — and all of the cherished hostages — home is not a political issue. It is a humanitarian issue," said his father, Jon Polin.
Goldberg-Polin was described by his parents as a music and soccer enthusiast who loved to travel and had plans to go to university after completing his military service.
