Israelis woke to the news Sunday that the bodies of six hostages held by Hamas — Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Ori Danino, Carmel Gat, Alexander Lobanov, Almog Sarusi and Eden Yerushalmi — had been found in Gaza after they’d been killed by Hamas. In a short, emotional post shared in an Instagram Story, actress Gal Gadot, herself a former soldier in the Israeli military, wrote, “the heart is broken into pieces today.”
“They survived almost 11 months in captivity and then were murdered by Hamas,” Gadot wrote. “People who became an inseparable part of our hearts, families who waited so long for a different end, the heart is broken into pieces today. 101 more hostages still there.”
In the hours that followed the announcement, IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari said, “According to our initial estimation, they were brutally murdered by Hamas terrorists a short time before we reached them.”
Israeli health ministry spokesperson Shira Solomon told Agence France-Presse, “The six hostages were murdered by Hamas terrorists with several close-range gunshots.”
Officials from Hamas have blamed Israel for the deaths and said that three of the hostages — Goldberg-Polin, Gat and Yerushalmi — were expected to be released as part of the failed July 2 ceasefire agreement.
The family of Goldberg-Polin have been at the forefront of the move to bring the hostages taken on Oct. 7 home. Video of Goldberg-Polin from his kidnapping showed that the 23-year-old lost part of his arm; his family had appealed to both the Israeli and the American governments to bring the dual-national home.
Goldberg-Polin’s family also spoke at the Democratic National Convention this month. Jon Goldberg said in part of his son, “This is a political convention, but needing our only son and all of the cherished hostages home is not a political issue. It is a humanitarian issue. The families of the hostages meet every few weeks in Washington. We’re heartened that both Democratic and Republican leaders demonstrate their bipartisan support for our hostages being released.”
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a taped message Sunday in response to the news. He said, “Three months ago, on May 27, Israel agreed to a hostage release deal with the full backing of the United States. Hamas refused. Even after the United States updated the outline of the deal on August 16 — we agreed, and Hamas again refused.”
The Hostages Families Forum, an organization staffed by volunteers that represent the families of the hostages, issued its own response. The organization said that Netanyahu should “stop blaming everyone.” The Forum added, “Take responsibility for the thwarting (of a deal). Take responsibility for the neglect. Take responsibility for the hostages who were murdered in captivity.”
Bring Them Home Now, a group also made up of family members of those taken hostage, issued its own statement in response to the news. The group called for protests throughout Israel and wrote on X, “TODAY, The Families will Bring the Nation to a Halt As Foot-Dragging Continues, Hostages Are Dying After 11 months of neglect of 107 hostages, the Hostages Families Forum call on the public to join a massive demonstration, demanding a complete halt of the country and the immediate implementation of a deal to release the hostages.”
“TODAY, the entire nation will stand alongside the hostages’ families to protest the cabinet’s ongoing neglect of the hostages. They will also call upon leaders of the world to exert all possible pressure on Hamas to sign the deal.”
Many in Israel and around the world criticized headlines underplaying Hamas’ active cruelty in killing the hostages. Activist Eve Barlow wrote on X in response to a CNN headline, “Murdered. Kidnapped. Kept hostage. Tortured. Murdered. By Hamas. A terrorist organization. Do your f–king job.”
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