California Rep. Adam Schiff offered a fiery response to news that the bodies of six Israeli hostages were found in Gaza on Sunday. While speaking with CNN’s Dana Bash, the Democrat said that “these sons of b–ches who did this ought to be hunted down and brought to justice, no matter how long that takes, I hope and pray.”
Schiff, also the leading candidate for California’s next senator, added that he hopes there is a “negotiated end to this war soon.”
The pair also spoke about the family of the American-Israeli Omer Neutra, who was taken hostage on Oct. 7. The Neutra family has repeatedly urged Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to agree to a ceasefire deal that could bring their son and the rest of the 101 remaining hostages home.
“I asked her about a prayer that she says every day, and she’s clearly done with prayers. She’s frustrated, understandably,” Schiff said of Neutra’s mother.
“I’m hearing anecdotally from people saying, this is the United States of America, and the fact that the American president and American administration can’t get American citizens held in these conditions back is very frustrating, and a little bit, they’re flabbergasted by it,” Schiff added.
Both Joe Biden and Kamala Harris issued statements in response to the news of the hostages being killed by Hamas.
The vice president wrote in part, “On October 7, Hersh Goldberg-Polin — an American citizen — was taken hostage by Hamas terrorists. He was just 23 years old, attending a music festival with friends. We now know he was murdered by Hamas. Doug and my prayers are with Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg-Polin, Hersh’s parents, and with everyone who knew and loved Hersh.”
“Americans and people around the world will pray for Jon, Rachel, and their family and send them love and strength. As is said in the Jewish tradition, may Hersh’s memory be a blessing. Hamas is an evil terrorist organization. With these murders, Hamas has even more American blood on its hands. I strongly condemn Hamas’ continued brutality, and so must the entire world.”
The president described the parents of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who have tirelessly advocated for the release of their son and all of the hostages, as “courageous, wise, and steadfast.”
“I have worked tirelessly to bring their beloved Hersch safely to them and am heartbroken by the news of his death,” Biden continued. “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.”
Both Biden and Harris’ statements have been criticized for not directly speaking about Netanyahu’s role in the ongoing hostage crisis. Washington Post journalist John Hudson noted in a thread on X that Biden “has tried to avoid criticizing Netanyahu for holding up the deal” and Harris’ “statement makes no mention of a ceasefire-hostage deal and lends indirect support for Netanyahu’s maximalist goals for Gaza, which many U.S. officials say are not achievable.”
The killings of these hostages has spurred an increase in voices calling for a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. In an opinion piece titled “The Claim That Only Israeli Military Pressure Can Free Hostages Was Always Wrong. Now It’s Shattered” published on Haaretz on Sunday, Amos Harel wrote, “Netanyahu, as apparent in all his declarations in recent weeks — including the strange conversation he had with female hostages who had returned from captivity the preceding weekend — does not want a deal at this point.”
“He may believe that continued pressure on Hamas will bring the organization to make concessions in the future. The trouble is that so far, there is no evidence of increased flexibility on the part of Hamas, with more hostages dying,” Harel added.
