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Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Israeli-American hostage, found dead in Gaza

By FOX TV Digital Team
Published  September 1, 2024 9:36am EDT
Israel Hamas war
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Israeli-American among 6 hostages found dead in Gaza

Israel Defense Forces identified the other dead hostages as Ori Danino, 25; Eden Yerushalmi, 24; Almog Sarusi, 27; and Alexander Lobanov, 33; who were also taken from the music festival.

The Brief

    • Hersh Goldberg-Polin, an Israeli-American taken hostage by Hamas militants on Oct. 7, was found dead with five other hostages this weekend. 
    • The 23-year-old Berkeley, California, native was one of the most well-known captives held by Hamas as his parents met with world leaders and pressed for his release.
    • Outraged hostage families are now calling for a massive protest in Israel, demanding a "complete halt of the country" until a cease-fire with Hamas is reached.

Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, an Israeli-American who was taken hostage by militants during Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, was among six hostages found dead in Gaza Sunday, military officials said.

According to the Israeli military, all six hostages were killed shortly before forces arrived.

Militants seized Goldberg-Polin, 23, and four of the other hostages at a music festival in southern Israel during the attack, which triggered Israel's war against Hamas.

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Goldberg-Polin, a native of Berkeley, California, lost part of his left arm to a grenade in the attack. In April, a Hamas-issued video showed him alive but with his left hand missing, sparking new protests in Israel urging the government to do more to secure the hostages' release.

Jonathan Polin and Rachel Goldberg, parents of Israeli hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, attend a demonstration on August 29, 2024 amid the ongoing conflict in the Palestinian territory between Israel and Hamas. (Photo by JACK GUEZ/AFP via Getty Images)

He became one of the most well-known captives held by Hamas as his parents met with world leaders and pressed for his release.

The deaths of Goldberg-Polin and other hostages sparked calls for mass protests against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whom many Israelis blame for failing to bring them back alive in a deal with Hamas to end the 10-month-old war. Negotiations over such a deal have dragged on for months.

Netanyahu said Israel would hold Hamas accountable for killing the hostages in "cold blood," and blamed the militant group for the stalled negotiations, saying "whoever murders hostages doesn’t want a deal."

A group of hostage families called for a massive protest on Sunday, demanding a "complete halt of the country" until a cease-fire is reached and hostages are released.

Three of the hostages, including Goldberg-Polin, had been slated to be released in the first phase of a cease-fire proposal discussed back in July.

A senior Hamas official said the hostages would still be alive if Israel had accepted the U.S.- backed cease-fire proposal.