The Israeli military confirmed the execution of six hostages, including an American, by Hamas in Gaza, a revelation that has plunged Israel into deep grief and ignited debate over its government’s handling of ceasefire negotiations.
In a grim discovery beneath the Gaza city of Rafah, the bodies of two women and four men, including 23-year-old American-Israeli Hersh Goldberg-Polin, were found in a tunnel.
U.S. President Joe Biden confirmed Goldberg-Polin’s death, saying in a statement that he is “devastated and outraged.”
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“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,” Biden stated, referring to Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack in southern Israel that left over 1,200 people dead and sparked Israel’s military offensive in Gaza.
“He had just turned 23. He planned to travel the world. I have gotten to know his parents, Jon and Rachel. They have been courageous, wise, and steadfast, even as they have endured the unimaginable. They have been relentless and irrepressible champions of their son and of all the hostages held in unconscionable conditions. I admire them and grieve with them more deeply than words can express.”
The hostages were shot at close range about 48 to 72 hours before their discovery, according to Israeli officials who spoke with The Wall Street Journal.
Goldberg-Polin’s family had been vocal advocates for a ceasefire, hoping for his and other hostages’ safe return after an 11-month ordeal.
The health ministry, citing preliminary forensic results, reported the brutal manner of their deaths, which is leading to an escalating public outcry.
Tens of thousands gathered for an impromptu protest in central Tel Aviv, while major Israeli institutions and some coalition members urged the government to secure the release of the remaining 97 hostages through negotiations, The Jerusalem Post.
At the protest site near Israel’s defense ministry, mourners displayed Israeli flags and the caskets of the six victims, demanding immediate action from the government.
Protestors wielded signs with messages like “They were alive,” “Stop the war” and “Bring them home now.” The scene was charged with emotion as protesters clashed with police, who deployed water cannons and flash grenades to manage the crowd.
This police response has sparked further outrage and calls for appropriate measures to maintain order during such highly charged events. Israel’s largest union, law firms, and several universities have called for a nationwide strike.
Amidst the public’s grief, Prime Minister Netanyahu addressed the nation, blaming Hamas for stalling the negotiations.
“Whoever kills hostages doesn’t want a deal,” Netanyahu stated in a video message.
Further complicating the situation, Hamas attributed the deaths to Israeli and U.S. airstrikes, a claim that intensified the already fraught negotiations over a potential ceasefire. The terror group’s stance seemingly reduces its leverage in negotiations, having fewer hostages to bargain with, which could shift the dynamics of the ongoing talks.
In his statement, Biden pledged that “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,” he said.
Former President Donald Trump criticized Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for their perceived weaknesses in handling international terrorism and hostage situations.
“We grieve the senseless death of the Israeli Hostages, horrifically including a wonderful American Citizen, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, murdered by Hamas due to a complete lack of American Strength and Leadership,” Trump stated on the social media platform X. “Make no mistake — This happened because Comrade Kamala Harris and Crooked Joe Biden are poor Leaders.”
Billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman also criticized the U.S. administration’s handling of the hostage crisis on X, noting that the American hostage’s parents “spoke at the DNC less than two weeks ago, while hostage negotiations were underway.”
“Consider that the U.S. strategy over the last 330 days has been to pressure Israel to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza, including through the withholding of weapons from @Israel, and by periodically leaking our failure to support our ally to the media in the midst of hostage negotiations,” he wrote.
“Consider what pressure if any the U.S. has brought to bear on Hamas and our friends in the region who harbor Hamas’ leadership?” Ackman asked. “Why? Why has our leadership adopted this failed strategy?”
