The parents of Hersh Goldberg Pollin, an Israeli-American man held hostage by the militant group Hamas, buried their son on Monday after the deaths of six hostages sparked mass protests in Israel.
“We've let you down. We all have let you down.” Hirsch's father said.At the funeral, the Rev. John Pollin said, “For 330 days, Mama and I have searched for a stone we can turn over to save you. Maybe your death will be the stone, the fuel, that will bring the remaining 101 hostages home.”
Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets after Israeli forces discovered the bodies of six hostages over the weekend, pressuring Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reach an agreement on a ceasefire and the hostages' release.
When Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel last October, taking some 250 hostages, Hersh's parents, John and Rachel Goldberg Pollin, defended their son from Berkeley, California, and became icons of the hostage-freeing movement. I just turned 23.
President Biden said Sunday he was “heartbroken and outraged” by the casualties and vowed that Hamas “will pay a price.”
“I am heartbroken by the news of his death, as I have worked tirelessly to bring their beloved Haash safely to them,” Biden said of the family in a statement. “This is as reprehensible as it is tragic. Make no mistake, Hamas' leaders will pay a price for these crimes.”
A White House official told The Hill that Biden met with the parents, who spoke at the Democratic National Convention last month, and said they mourned the death of their son. The president also said Monday that Netanyahu had not done enough to secure the hostage deal.
The Israeli retaliatory operation comes nearly 11 months of fighting since a Hamas attack in October left more than 1,100 people dead. Killed over 40,000 PalestiniansAccording to local health officials.
Facing pressure on Monday for failing to secure the release of the remaining hostages, Netanyahu asked the hostages' families for forgiveness.
“I have said to the families, and I say it again this evening, I ask for your forgiveness for not being able to bring them back alive. We were so close, but we didn't,” Netanyahu said at a news conference on Monday. From CNN TranslatedHe promised that Hamas would “pay a heavy price” for the dead.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
