Israeli hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin dead, family says
(NewsNation) — Hersh Goldberg-Polin, one of many young people taken hostage by Hamas during the October 7th attacks, is dead, his family announced in a statement Saturday night.
"With broken hearts, the Goldberg-Polin family is devastated to announce the death of their beloved son and brother, Hersh. The family thanks you all for your love and support and asks for privacy at this time," a spokesperson for the family wrote.
On Saturday, Israel said it has discovered a number of bodies in Gaza during combat, and that its military was carrying out a process to extract and identify the bodies, which will take several hours.
It asked that the public refrain from spreading rumors as to the identities of the bodies.
NewsNation cannot confirm if the announcement of Goldberg-Polin's death is related to the IDF announcement.
In April, Hamas released a video of Goldberg-Polin accusing Israel’s government of abandoning the people who are being held hostage by Hamas.
In the video, Goldberg-Polin also claimed that some 70 captives have been killed in Israel’s bombing campaign. Goldberg-Polin was clearly speaking under duress, and the claim could not be independently verified. It was not clear when the video was made.
Goldberg-Polin, 23, was at the Tribe of Nova music festival when Hamas launched its attack from nearby Gaza. In the video, Goldberg-Polin is missing part of his left arm.
Witnesses said he lost it when attackers tossed grenades into a shelter where people had taken refuge. He had tied a tourniquet around it before being bundled into the truck by Hamas.
Goldberg-Polin is one of the most recognized captives. Posters with his image are pinned up across Israel. His mother, Rachel Goldberg, has met with world leaders and addressed the United Nations.
His parents, Rachel Goldberg-Polin and Jon Polin, took the stage during the Democratic National Convention, taking several moments before addressing the crowd as attendees cheered.
At one point, Goldberg-Polin closed her eyes and placed her hand on her heart as the crowd began to chant “bring them home!” Some members of the audience wiped away tears.
The Associated Press and NewsNation partner The Hill contributed to this report.