President Biden said he was “shocked and outraged” by the death of Hersh Goldberg Pollin, an Israeli-American hostage who was held hostage by the militant group Hamas.
“I am devastated and outraged. Hersh is one of the innocent people brutally attacked while attending a Music for Peace festival in Israel on October 7th. He lost an arm while helping friends and strangers during a brutal Hamas massacre. He had just turned 23 and was set to travel the world,” Biden said. In a statement on Saturday.
Hersh Goldberg Polin was one of six hostages whose bodies were recovered by Israeli forces over the weekend. Their deaths come as the United States and its allies push for a ceasefire to free the hostages without a concrete agreement.
A White House official told The Hill that President Biden spoke with Hersh Goldberg Pollin's parents, Rachel and John Goldberg Pollin, on Sunday morning and offered his condolences for their son's death. The parents have been vocal advocates for a hostage release deal to allow their son and others held in Gaza to return home.
“It is with deep sadness that we announce the death of our beloved son and brother,” the family said in a statement on Sunday, and thanked those who have supported the family.
Biden said in a statement that he respected and grieved with both parents, who spoke at the Democratic National Convention last month.
“I got to know his parents, John and Rachel. They were brave, wise and resolute as they endured unimaginable circumstances. They were relentless and irrepressible advocates for their son and for all hostages held in brutal conditions. I admire them and grieve with them more deeply than words can express,” he said.
“I know all Americans are praying for them tonight, as Jill and I are. I have worked tirelessly to bring their beloved Hersh safely to them, and I am heartbroken by the news of his death, which is as reprehensible as it is tragic. Make no mistake, Hamas leaders will pay a price for these crimes, and we will continue to work day and night toward an agreement to secure the release of the remaining hostages,” he added.
National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan also met on Sunday with the families of Americans being held hostage by Hamas. According to a White House representative's report, Sullivan delivered the news of Goldberg-Polin's death and discussed the U.S.'s continuing efforts to reach an agreement to secure the release of the remaining hostages.
