US President Joe Biden expressed his devastation and outrage following the recovery of six hostages’ bodies, including that of an Israeli-American, from the Gaza Strip. On August 31, Biden condemned the development as “tragic” and “reprehensible,” and warned that “Hamas leaders will pay for these crimes,” while vowing to continue working tirelessly to secure the release of the remaining hostages held by the militant group.
The President confirmed that one of the deceased hostages was an American citizen, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, in a statement released by the White House. Israeli forces recovered the bodies on Saturday from a tunnel beneath the city of Rafah in southern Gaza.
According to Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the six hostages were “brutally murdered” by Hamas shortly before IDF troops arrived.
In a statement to reporters after leaving a church in Delaware, Biden declared, “It’s time this war ended. We should end this war.”
Vice President Kamala Harris also weighed in, asserting that Hamas “must be eliminated” and cannot be allowed to control Gaza. She extended her condolences to the parents of Goldberg-Polin, Jon and Rachel, and emphasized that ensuring the safety of American citizens worldwide is a top priority. Harris vowed that both she and President Biden would remain committed to freeing all hostages.
“Hamas is an evil terrorist organization. With these murders, Hamas has American blood on its hands. I strongly condemn Hamas’ continued brutality, and so must the entire world,” Harris said in a White House statement. She highlighted the group’s depravity, citing its massacre of 1,200 people, acts of sexual violence, hostage-taking, and these recent murders.
Goldberg-Polin, who was held hostage while trying to escape terrorists who infiltrated the Nova music festival, lost his hand in a grenade blast during the October 7 attacks.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog lamented, “The heart of an entire nation is crushed into pieces.” He condemned the killing of the hostages as evidence of Hamas’s readiness to commit crimes against humanity and reaffirmed Israel’s “sacred goal” of bringing the hostages home.
Following the Hamas attacks on October 7, Israel launched a war against the militant group, resulting in the deaths of over 1,200 Israelis and the taking of 250 hostages, according to Israeli authorities.
