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Hostages

Israel Recovers Bodies of Six Hostages Killed by Hamas, Including US Citizen

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Israel said Sunday that it had recovered the bodies of six hostages, including Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who were killed by Hamas on Oct. 7. The military stated that the six were killed before Israeli forces could rescue them and their bodies were found in a tunnel beneath Rafah. The news sparked calls for mass protests from families of the hostages, who claimed that a cease-fire deal could have secured their release alive.

Key Takeaways:

  • The six hostages were killed by Hamas in a tunnel beneath Rafah, just before Israeli forces could rescue them.
  • The hostages included Hersh Goldberg-Polin, a 23-year-old Israeli-American who lost part of his left arm in the initial attack; Eden Yerushalmi, 24, a Tel Aviv-born bartender; Carmel Gat, 40, an occupational therapist from Tel Aviv; Alexander Lobanov, 33, a married father of two; Almog Sarusi, 27, a "vibrant, positive person"; and Ori Danino, 25, the eldest of five siblings.
  • Goldberg-Polin's parents, U.S.-born immigrants to Israel, became high-profile advocates for the captives' release, meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden, Pope Francis, and addressing the United Nations.
  • The families of the hostages claimed that a cease-fire deal could have secured their release alive, sparking mass protests.

Statistics:

  • Six hostages were killed by Hamas in a tunnel beneath Rafah.
  • Hersh Goldberg-Polin, an Israeli-American, lost part of his left arm in the initial attack and was held captive for 320 days.
  • 23-year-old Eden Yerushalmi was a bartender at the Tribe of Nova music festival when she was taken by Hamas.
  • 40-year-old Carmel Gat was an occupational therapist known for her compassion and love of music.
  • Alexander Lobanov was a married father of two and was kidnapped from the music festival where he worked as a bar manager.
  • Almog Sarusi was described as a "vibrant, positive person" and a frequent traveler.
  • Ori Danino was the eldest of five siblings and planned to study electrical engineering.

Sources:

  • The Associated Press, "Israel says it has recovered bodies of 6 hostages killed by Hamas", October 22, (ASSOCIATED PRESS)
  • Hostage Families Forum, cited in the article for its advocacy efforts and descriptions of the hostages.

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