Israeli officials released new information about the deaths of six hostages who had been kidnapped by Hamas terrorists last October, revealing horrific details about their final days in captivity.
An examination carried out by forensic experts found that after they had survived more than 10 months in Gaza, the six hostages were killed by Hamas terrorists between Thursday and Friday morning, according to the Israeli Health Ministry. They died from multiple close-range gunshot wounds, the ministry said.
Israel Defense Forces spokesman Nadav Shoshani said their bodies were discovered in a tunnel in Rafah, a city in the southern region of the Gaza Strip.
Five of the hostages, including Israeli American citizen Hersh Goldberg-Polin, had been abducted from the Nova music festival during Hamas’s brutal terrorist attack in Israel on Oct. 7. The sixth hostage was taken from a neighboring community.
The revelations of their deaths intensified pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to secure a ceasefire deal with Hamas to rescue the remaining 101 hostages, though the IDF has said about a third of them are believed to be dead.
In the aftermath of the IDF discovering the six bodies, thousands of furious protesters swarmed the streets of Tel Aviv to call for Netanyahu to agree to a ceasefire in Gaza, where thousands of Palestinians have been killed and communities have been destroyed as a byproduct of the Israel-Hamas war.
When President Joe Biden was asked by a reporter on Monday if he thought Netanyahu was doing enough to secure a deal, Biden replied, “No.”
Shoshani, the IDF spokesman, vowed on Sunday that the Israeli military would “not rest until we fulfill our mission of bringing all our hostages home by all means possible.”
Here is what we know about the six victims:
Hersh Goldberg-Polin
Goldberg-Polin, 23, was an Israeli American citizen whose parents’ prolific advocacy for their son’s release helped him become the face of the hostages over the past 11 months. They both spoke at the Democratic National Convention, pleading for a ceasefire to bring the hostages home.
His mother, Rachel Goldberg, was among those who spoke at his funeral on Monday, which was attended by thousands and livestreamed by the Times of Israel.
She proclaimed during a gut-wrenching speech, “Finally, my sweet boy, finally, finally, finally, finally you’re free.”
Goldberg-Polin’s arm was blown off by a grenade during Hamas’s attack, and the terrorists released a hostage video of him in the spring in which he was alive but appeared in a state of deteriorated health with his arm missing.
Eden Yerushalmi
Yerushalmi turned 24 while in Hamas’s captivity. She was working as a bartender at the music festival when the terrorist group launched its first rockets.
Reports say she was in contact with her family, including her two sisters, for hours as the attack transpired, sending video of the gruesome scene.
In her final message to her family, she said, “They’ve caught me.”
Ori Danino
Danino, 25, was the oldest of five brothers and was described as a “hero” hostage after he escaped the music festival but turned around to save people under attack, according to the Jerusalem Post.
“He ran away from the party, got out of hell, came back to save more people, and was kidnapped with them. He survived more than 300 days in captivity to return full of hope and faith,” said his girlfriend, Liel Avraham.
“He excelled in everything he did,” she said.
Almog Sarusi
Sarusi, 27, was attending the music festival with his longtime girlfriend Shahar, when Hamas invaded the event and killed hundreds, including Shahar.
He reportedly stayed behind to help her, leading to his capture.
The Hostages Families Forum described Sarusi as someone who loved to ride around in his white SUV and play the guitar.
Alexander Lobanov
Lobanov, 33, was a husband and father of two. His wife Michal gave birth to their second child while Lobanov was in captivity.
Speaking at his funeral on Sunday, Michal Lobanov sobbed as she described him as “the best father and the best husband.”
“It is really true that God takes the best,” she said.
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Carmel Gat
Gat, 40, was abducted from a community ravaged by Hamas on Oct. 7. Hostages who had been rescued in Gaza described Gat, an occupational therapist, as their guardian angel, saying she helped them to practice meditation while under duress.
Gat, along with Goldberg-Polin and Yerushalmi, were expected to be released as part of the first phase of a ceasefire agreement, but Netanyahu delayed the deal, two Israeli officials told CNN.