As the war between Israel and Hamas continues, the Israeli military has confirmed that an American was among six hostages executed by Hamas in Gaza. Christian PostThe bodies of two women and four men, including 23-year-old Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg Pollin, were found in an underground tunnel in Rafah, Gaza Strip.
President Joe Biden confirmed Goldberg-Polin's death in a statement, saying he was “heartbroken and outraged.”
“Hersh was one of the innocent people brutally attacked on Oct. 7 while attending a Music for Peace festival in Israel. He lost an arm while helping friends and strangers in a brutal Hamas massacre,” Biden said, referring to the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel that left more than 1,200 people dead.
“He had just turned 23 and had plans to travel the world. I got to know his parents, John and Rachel. They were brave, wise and resolute, enduring unimaginable circumstances. They were relentless and irrepressible advocates for their son and all hostages held in brutal conditions. I admire them and grieve with them more deeply than words can express.”
Israeli officials The Wall Street Journal He noted that the hostages were shot at close range approximately 48 to 72 hours before they were found.
Goldberg-Polin's family has been vocal in their support of the ceasefire and that he and the other hostages would return home safely 11 months after the war began.
Public protests continued even after the Health Ministry reported the hostages' brutal cause of death, citing preliminary forensic results. Tens of thousands of people gathered in spontaneous protests in central Tel Aviv, and key Israeli institutions and some coalition members called on the government to secure the release of the remaining 97 hostages through negotiations, The Jerusalem Post reported. Reported.
Responding to the public's grief, Prime Minister Netanyahu addressed the nation and blamed Hamas for delaying the negotiations.
“Those who kill hostages do not want a deal,” Netanyahu said in a video message.
Hamas, meanwhile, argued that deaths from Israeli and US airstrikes were hampering any chance of ceasefire talks.
“Hamas leaders will pay a price for these crimes,” Biden said in a statement.
“We will continue to work day and night to reach an agreement to ensure the release of the remaining hostages,” he said.
Former President Donald Trump criticized Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for their leadership and inadequate handling of the situation.
“We mourn the senseless deaths of Israeli hostages, including a fine American citizen, Hersh Goldberg Pollin, murdered by Hamas in a complete lack of American strength and leadership,” Trump said. stated On social media platform X, he wrote, “Make no mistake, this happened because Comrade Kamala Harris and Evil Joe Biden are bad leaders.”
We mourn the senseless deaths of Israeli hostages, including that of a fine American citizen, Hersh Goldberg Pollin, who was murdered by Hamas in a complete lack of American strength and leadership. Make no mistake, this is a testament to the work of Comrade Kamala Harris and…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 1, 2024
Billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman also criticized the administration's response to the hostage crisis, noting that the parents of an American hostage “spoke at the Democratic National Convention just under two weeks ago, while hostage negotiations were underway.”
“Consider that the US strategy for the past 330 days has been to pressure Israel to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza, including through withholding weapons deliveries to Israel and regular leaks to the media that it was not supporting its allies during hostage negotiations,” he said. Written About X.
Consider that Hamas chose to execute an American hostage, whose parents had just spoken at the Democratic National Convention, with a bullet to the back of the head (along with five other hostages) in the last few days while hostage negotiations were underway.
Think about it…
— Bill Ackman (@BillAckman) September 1, 2024
“Consider the pressure the U.S. has put on Hamas and the regional allies that harbor its leadership,” Ackman asked. “Why? Why did our leadership adopt this failed strategy?”
Photo credit: ©Spencer Pratt/staff
