Israel recovers bodies of 6 hostages in Gaza, including Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin | The Times Of Update

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel said Sunday it has recovered the bodies of six hostages in Gaza, including a young Israeli-American who became one of Hamas’s most high-profile captives after his parents met with world leaders and demanded his release, including at the Democratic convention last month.

The military said the six hostages were killed shortly before they were rescued by Israeli forces. Their recovery has sparked calls for mass protests against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whom many of the hostages’ families and much of the Israeli public accuse of failing to bring them back alive as part of a deal with Hamas to end the hostage detention. the war that has been going on for 10 monthsNegotiations on such an agreement have It lasted for months.

In a separate incident, gunmen killed two people and wounded a third when they opened fire on a vehicle in the occupied West Bank, where Israel is conducting military operations. large-scale military raids In recent days, the Israeli rescue service Magen David Adom has confirmed the number of victims.

Militants captured Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23, and four other hostages at a music festival in southern Israel in the October 7 Hamas attack that sparked the war.

A native of Berkeley, California, he lost part of his left arm to a grenade thrown during the attack. In April, a video released by Hamas showed him speaking under duress with his left hand blown off, sparking renewed protests in Israel, urging the government to do more to secure his freedom and that of others.

The military identified the other hostages as Ori Danino, 25, Eden Yerushalmi, 24, Almog Sarusi, 27, and Alexander Lobanov, 33, who were also excerpt from the music festivalThe sixth, Carmel Gat, 40, was abducted from the nearby farming community of Be’eri.

The bodies were found in a tunnel in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, about a kilometer from where another hostage was being held. Qaid Farhan Alkadi, 52, was rescued alive last week.

“According to initial reports, they were brutally murdered by Hamas terrorists shortly before we reached them,” Israeli military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari told reporters.

Hamas had no immediate comment.

Netanyahu has taken a hard line in the negotiations and has repeatedly said that military pressure is needed to repatriate the hostages. According to Israeli media, he has clashed with senior security officials who have said a deal must be reached urgently. Hamas has offered to release the hostages in exchange for an end to the war, the withdrawal of Israeli forces and the release of a large number of Palestinian prisoners.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog said: “The heart of an entire nation is broken into pieces.” Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said: “On behalf of the State of Israel, I hold their families close to my heart and ask for forgiveness.” Netanyahu had no immediate comment.

A forum of hostage families has called for a mass protest on Sunday, demanding a “complete shutdown of the country” to move forward…