The Israeli military said the six were killed shortly before Israeli forces were to rescue them.
The captured after Hamas’ attack at the Nova musical festival on Oct. 7 that ignited the were recovered early Sunday by the Israeli military. Among them was , whose parents led a high-profile campaign for the captives’ release.
The Israeli military said the six – identified as Goldberg-Polin, Eden Yerushalmi, Carmel Gat, Alexander Lobanov, Almog Sarusi and Ori Danino – were killed shortly before Israeli forces were to rescue them. Their bodies were found in a tunnel beneath the southern Gaza city of Rafah.
The news sparked calls for mass protests by families of the hostages who said they could have been returned alive in a cease-fire deal.
Here is what we know about the hostages:Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23
The native of Berkeley, California, lost part of his left arm to a grenade blast in the Oct. 7 attack. In April, a with his left hand missing, sparking new protests in Israel urging the government to do more to secure his and others’ freedom.
His parents, U.S.-born immigrants to Israel, became perhaps the most high-profile relatives of hostages on the international stage. They met with President Biden, Pope Francis and others and addressed the United Nations, urging the release of all hostages.
On Aug. 21, his parents addressed a hushed hall at the Democratic National Convention — after sustained applause and chants of « bring him home. »
« We are feeling extreme desperation, despair », Rachel Goldberg-Polin, his mother, in early April.
