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(NewsNation) — The bodies of Hersh Goldberg-Polin and five other Israeli hostages taken by Hamas during the October 7th attacks are dead, President Joe Biden said in a statement on Saturday.
“With broken hearts, the Goldberg-Polin family is devastated to announce the death of their beloved son and brother, Hersh. The family thanks you all for your love and support and asks for privacy at this time,” a spokesperson for the Goldberg-Polin family wrote.
On Saturday, Israel said it has discovered a number of bodies in Gaza during combat, and that its military was carrying out a process to extract and identify the bodies, which will take several hours.
It asked that the public refrain from spreading rumors as to the identities of the bodies.
Earlier today, in a tunnel under the city of Rafah, Israeli forces recovered six bodies of hostages held by Hamas. We have now confirmed that one of the hostages killed by these vicious Hamas terrorists was an American citizen, Hersh Goldberg-Polin. I am devastated and outraged. 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. 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. I know all Americans tonight will have them in their prayers, just as Jill and I will. I have worked tirelessly to bring their beloved Hersh safely to them and am heartbroken by the news of his death. It is as tragic as it is reprehensible. Make no mistake, 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.
President Joe Biden
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Jon Polin, left, and Rachel Goldberg, parents of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, speak on stage during the Democratic National Convention Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) -
NewsNation host Chris Cuomo speaks with Jonathan Polin, left, and his wife Rachel Goldberg about their missing son, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who is believed captured by Hamas militants. (NewsNation) -
This undated photo provided by Rachel Goldberg shows her son Hersh Goldberg-Polin. The 23-year-old from Jerusalem was last seen when Hamas militants loaded him into the back of a pickup truck with other hostages abducted from a music festival in the western Negev Desert on Oct. 7. (Courtesy of Rachel Goldberg via AP) -
Rachel Goldberg-Polin, the mother of one of the hostages held by Hamas tells NewsNation’s “Morning in America” she wears a new piece of masking tape daily with the number of days her son has been held captive. “I think the human species has failed them,” she said of the hostages. -
Rachel Goldberg talks about a meeting she and other families had with Antony Blinken about the possible rescue of American hostages being held in Gaza. (NewsNation)
In April, Hamas released a video of Goldberg-Polin accusing Israel’s government of abandoning the people who are being held hostage by Hamas.
In the video, Goldberg-Polin also claimed that some 70 captives have been killed in Israel’s bombing campaign. Goldberg-Polin was clearly speaking under duress, and the claim could not be independently verified. It was not clear when the video was made.
Goldberg-Polin, 23, was at the Tribe of Nova music festival when Hamas launched its attack from nearby Gaza. In the video, Goldberg-Polin is missing part of his left arm.
Witnesses said he lost it when attackers tossed grenades into a shelter where people had taken refuge. He had tied a tourniquet around it before being bundled into the truck by Hamas.
Goldberg-Polin is one of the most recognized captives. Posters with his image are pinned up across Israel. His mother, Rachel Goldberg, has met with world leaders and addressed the United Nations.
His parents, Rachel Goldberg-Polin and Jon Polin, took the stage during the Democratic National Convention, taking several moments before addressing the crowd as attendees cheered.
At one point, Goldberg-Polin closed her eyes and placed her hand on her heart as the crowd began to chant “bring them home!” Some members in the audience wiped away tears.
The Associated Press and NewsNation partner The Hill contributed to this report.
