Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23, was among the six hostages found dead in a Gaza tunnel, President Joe Biden confirmed in a statement shared by the White House on Saturday (August 31).
“We have now confirmed that one of the hostages killed by these vicious Hamas terrorists was an American citizen, Hersh Goldberg-Polin,” Biden said. “I am devastated and outraged. 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 had just turned 23.”
‘Make no mistake, Hamas leaders will pay for these crimes. And we will keep working around the clock for a deal to secure the release of the remaining hostages,” Biden added in his statement.
Goldberg-Polin’s parents, Jon and Rachel, who recently appeared at the Democratic National Convention publicly urging their son to “stay strong,” also confirmed his death in a statement obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times.
“With broken hearts, the Goldberg-Polin family is devastated to announce the death of their beloved son and brother, Hersh,” the statement reads. “The family thanks you all for your love and support and asks for privacy at this time.”
Goldberg-Polin was among the 250 hostages taken by Hamas militants during its attack on an Israeli music festival on October 7, which resulted in 1,139 reported deaths, including 815 Israeli civilians, and 251 individuals being taken hostage to the Gaza Strip. A total of 41,000 people, including more than 40,000 Palestinians and nearly 1,500 Israelis, have been killed in the Israel-Hamas war launched in response to the attack.
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