The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed in a statement early Sunday that they had recovered the bodies of six more hostages from Gaza, including Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin.
The remains of Goldberg-Polin, 23, whose parents spoke at the Democratic National Convention in August, were found, along with the bodies of Israelis Carmel Gat, 40; Eden Yerushalmi, 24; Alexander Lobanov, 32; Almog Sarusi, 27; and Ori Danino, 25.
Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Alexander Lobanov, Almog Sarusi, and Ori Danino.
This ongoing grief and outrage was brutally sown on 10/7.
Hamas owns this entire humanitarian catastrophe and my support for Israel is unbreakable. pic.twitter.com/OKPvZVNd43
— Senator John Fetterman (@SenFettermanPA) September 1, 2024
The IDF said the six hostages were killed by Hamas terrorists “shortly before” their bodies were retrieved from a tunnel in the Gazan city of Rafah.
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu apologized to the slain hostages’ families, even as protests erupted across the country decrying his leadership. Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai posted on X that his city would join a massive general strike planned for Monday. According to English translations, Huldai said:
As a sign of solidarity with the abductees and their families, the municipality of Tel Aviv-Jaffa joins the strike. Tomorrow, starting in the morning until noon, there will be no public reception and we will allow all female and male employees to go out and support the families’ struggle. Take to the streets.
Here’s more:
Hostage families — who have for months accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of prioritizing his political survival and victory against Hamas over a deal that would bring their loved ones home — demanded that he address the nation.
Hours later, Netanyahu’s office released a prerecorded video statement of the prime minister, in which he took no questions from the public. “The fact that Hamas continues to commit atrocities like the ones it committed on the seventh of October obliges us to do everything so that it cannot commit these atrocities again,” he said.
In the 11 months since they were violently abducted from a music festival and a nearby kibbutz in southern Israel, the six hostages had been classified as alive by the IDF, which had a general assessment of their location. At least four of them — including Goldberg-Polin — were presumed to be on the list of hostages who would be released in the event that ongoing U.S.-brokered negotiations brought a cease-fire.
Arnon Bar-David, the head of the Histadrut labor union. or the General Organization of Workers in Israel, the Jewish state’s largest union, called for a general strike on Monday.
The neglect of the economy must be stopped. Israel must be returned to a reasonable routine… We must reach a deal. A deal is more important than anything else. We are getting body bags instead of a deal.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid took direct aim at Netanyahu, saying the deaths could have been prevented by a deal.
Instead of saving lives, hostages are being buried. Instead of doing everything to bring them home, Netanyahu is doing all he can to stay in power.
The Goldberg-Polin family said in a statement:
With broken hearts, the Goldberg-Polin family is devastated to announce the death of their beloved son and brother, Hersh. The family thanks you all for your love and support and asks for privacy at this time.
While this latest tragic murder of innocent hostages by Hamas is heartbreaking, it will be interesting to see the reaction of American leftists — including those who protested during the four days of the DNC in Chicago — against the Biden-Harris administration’s support (which is tepid, at best) of Israel’s continuing war against the terrorist organization.
