Israeli protesters demand ceasefire as bodies of six hostages recovered from Gaza tunnels
The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, says he is 'shocked to the depths of his soul' after six Israeli hostages were found dead in Gaza
Protests have erupted across Israel after the bodies of six hostages were recovered in Gaza.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is being blamed for the deaths over a failure to negotiate a ceasefire with Hamas.
Israel’s largest trade union, the Histadrut, also pressured the government by calling a general strike for Monday - aiming to shut down or disrupt major sectors of the economy, including banking, health care and the country’s main airport.
The bodies of Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Alexander Lobanov, Almog Sarusi, and Ori Danino were found on Saturday in a tunnel in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, the Israeli military said.
They were found around a kilometre from where another hostage, Qaid Farhan Alkadi, 52, was rescued alive last week.
The Israel Defense Force (IDF) said they were all taken hostage on October 7 by Hamas terrorists.
“According to preliminary information, they were cruelly murdered by Hamas terrorists shortly before we reached them," military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari told reporters.
Netanyahu said Israel would hold Hamas accountable for killing the hostages in “cold blood,” and blamed the terrorist group for the stalled negotiations, saying “whoever murders hostages doesn’t want a deal."
Izzat al-Rishq, a senior Hamas official, said the hostages would still be alive if Israel had accepted a US-backed ceasefire proposal Hamas said it had agreed to in July.
“Nothing is worse than knowing that they could have been saved,” said Dana Loutaly. “Sometimes it takes something so awful to shake people up and get them out into the streets.”
In a statement on Sunday, the IDF said: "They were all taken hostage on October 7 and were murdered by the Hamas terrorist organisation while in captivity in Gaza.
"The IDF and ISA send their heartfelt condolences to the families. Israeli security forces are operating with all means to bring home all the hostages as fast as possible."
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The terrorists seized Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23, and four of the other hostages at a music festival in southern Israel during the October 7 attack.
The native of Berkeley, California, lost part of his left arm to a grenade in the attack.
In April, a Hamas-issued video showed him, his left hand missing and clearly speaking under duress, sparking new protests in Israel urging the government to do more to secure his and others’ freedom.
The army identified the other hostages as Ori Danino, 25; Eden Yerushalmi, 24; Almog Sarusi, 27; and Alexander Lobanov, 33; who were also taken from the music festival. The sixth, Carmel Gat, 40, was abducted from the nearby farming community of Be'eri.
Their recovery sparked calls for mass protests against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who many families of hostages and much of the wider Israeli public blame for failing to bring them back alive in a deal with Hamas to end the war.
President Joe Biden, who had met with the parents of the hostages, said he was “devastated and outraged.”
“It is as tragic as it is reprehensible,” he said. “Make no mistake, Hamas leaders will pay for these crimes. And we will keep working around the clock for a deal to secure the release of the remaining hostages.”
Israel's president, Isaac Herzog, said: “The heart of an entire nation is shattered to pieces.”
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said: “In the name of the state of Israel, I hold their families close to my heart and ask forgiveness.”
A forum of hostage families called for a massive protest on Sunday, demanding a “complete halt of the country” to push for the implementation of a cease-fire and hostage release.
“A deal for the return of the hostages has been on the table for over two months. Were it not for the delays, sabotage, and excuses those whose deaths we learned about this morning would likely still be alive. It’s time to bring our hostages home,” it said in a statement.
The Goldberg-Polin family issued a statement early Sunday, hours after the Israeli army said it had located bodies in Gaza.
“With broken hearts, the Goldberg-Polin family is devastated to announce the death of their beloved son and brother, Hersh,” it said. “The family thanks you all for your love and support and asks for privacy at this time.”
Mr Goldberg-Polin’s parents became perhaps the most high-profile relatives of hostages on the international stage. They met with Biden, Pope Francis and others and addressed the United Nations, urging the release of all hostages.
On August 21, his parents addressed a hushed hall at the Democratic National Convention - after sustained applause and chants of “bring him home.”
“This is a political convention. But needing our only son - and all of the cherished hostages - home is not a political issue. It is a humanitarian issue,” said his father, Jon Polin.
His mother, Rachel, who bowed her head during the ovation and touched her chest, said “Hersh, if you can hear us, we love you, stay strong, survive.”
The war broke out after Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on October 7, killing some 1,200 people and abducting around 250.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
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