The slain captives were identified as Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23, Eden Yerushalmi, 24, Almog Sarusi, 25, Alexander Lobanov, 32, Carmel Gat, 40, and Master Sgt. Ori Danino, 25.
By JNS
Israel Defense Forces troops recovered the bodies of six hostages from an underground tunnel in Rafah in southern Gaza overnight Saturday.
The slain captives were identified as Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23, Eden Yerushalmi, 24, Almog Sarusi, 25, Alexander Lobanov, 32, Carmel Gat, 40, and Master Sgt. Ori Danino, 25.
“A few hours ago, we informed the families that the bodies of their loved ones had been located by IDF troops in an underground tunnel in Rafah. According to our initial assessment, they were brutally murdered by Hamas terrorists shortly before we reached them,” IDF Spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said.
All six were kidnapped during the Hamas-led assault of the northwestern Negev on Oct. 7 and murdered in captivity.
“I commend the IDF and [Israel Security Agency] for conducting a complex operation to retrieve the bodies of the hostages for burial in Israel,” said Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Sunday.
“They were held hostage by Hamas and murdered in cold blood. May their memory be a blessing,” he added.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog said that “the heart of an entire nation is shattered to pieces with the news…. On behalf of the State of Israel, I embrace their families with all my heart, and apologize for failing to bring them home safely.
“We will continue to fight relentlessly against the criminal, terrorist organization Hamas, which has once again proven there is no end to its willingness to commit murder and crimes against humanity,” he continued.
“The blood of our brothers cries out to us. Our sisters and brothers are still there 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,” added Herzog.
U.S. President Joe Biden stated that he was “devastated and outraged” after U.S. citizen Goldberg-Polin was identified among the bodies recovered.
Biden vowed that “Hamas leaders will pay for these crimes,” but then said that the United States “will keep working around the clock” to secure a deal—which would be between the Jewish state and the Hamas terror organization—to release the rest of the hostages.
Last month, the IDF and ISA recovered the bodies of six other hostages kidnapped on Oct. 7, from a tunnel in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip.
The bodies of Avraham Munder, Yoram Metzger, Nadav Popplewell, Yagev Buchshtav, Chaim Peri and Alex Dancyg were located more than 10 months after the Hamas massacre.
On Tuesday, Israeli forces rescued a hostage alive from Hamas captivity in the Gaza Strip. Qaid Farhan Alkadi, 52, a father of 11 from the Bedouin city of Rahat in the Negev, was rescued from a tunnel in southern Gaza in a “complex operation.”
A day later, the IDF recovered the body of a soldier in the Gaza Strip who was killed fighting Hamas terrorists during the Oct. 7 invasion.
At the request of the soldier’s family, his name has not yet been made public.