Six Hostages, Including American Citizen, Killed by Hamas

On Saturday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that they had recovered and identified the bodies of six hostages who had been murdered by the Islamic terrorist group Hamas, one of whom was an American citizen.

According to the Daily Caller, the American citizen’s name was Hersh Goldberg-Polin, and he also held Israeli citizenship. The other five victims were Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Alexander Lobanov, Almog Sarusi, and Master Sergeant Ori Danino. They had all been kidnapped by Hamas on October 7th, and thus had been in captivity for nearly a year.

Goldberg-Polin was 23 years old, and was among those kidnapped by Hamas while attending the Nova music festival on October 7th. During the mass shooting carried out at the concert, he lost part of his left arm. He was briefly seen in a Hamas propaganda video in April.

“The blood of our brothers cries out to us,” said Israeli President Isaac Herzog on X. “Our sisters and brothers are still there [in captivity in Gaza] enduring Hell. The supreme covenant between the state and its citizens is to ensure their safety. We have the sacred and urgent mission to bring them home.”

Vice President Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), the Democratic nominee for President, issued her own statement on Saturday, saying that she “strongly condemns Hamas’ continued brutality,” and that “the threat Hamas poses to the people of Israel—and American citizens in Israel—must be eliminated and Hamas cannot control Gaza.”

However, when Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D-Minn.), the Democratic nominee for Vice President, was asked about the news by reporters at a campaign event, he abruptly said “goodbye” and walked away, despite clearly having heard the reporter’s question. This reaction has fueled renewed criticism over his far-left stances, including his support for “Palestine.”

Former President Donald Trump released a statement on X, blaming Biden and Harris for being “poor leaders,” adding that the deaths of the hostages were “senseless.”

“Our Country and our amazing people are not safe under Joe Biden, and will be less safe under Kamala Harris,” Trump added. “This terror would have never happened if I were President, and it will stop the day I am back in the Oval Office.”

IDF spokesman, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, confirmed that the hostages were shot and killed by Hamas just one or two days before they were found by the IDF on Saturday. They were located in an underground tunnel, one of many used by Hamas to carry out their terror, and near another tunnel where Israeli hostage Qaid Farhan Alkadi was rescued by the IDF on Tuesday.