President Biden said he is “devastated and outraged” by the death of Hersh Goldberg-Polin — an Israeli American who was being held hostage by militant group Hamas.
“I am devastated and outraged. Hersh was among the innocents brutally attacked while attending a music festival for peace in Israel on October 7. He lost his arm helping friends and strangers during Hamas’ savage massacre. He had just turned 23. He planned to travel the world,” Biden said in a Saturday statement.
Hersh Goldberg-Polin was one of the six hostages whose bodies were recovered by the Israeli military over the weekend. Their deaths come as the U.S. and its partners have pushed for a cease-fire deal to release the hostages without any concrete agreement.
A White House official told The Hill that Biden spoke Sunday morning with Rachel Goldberg-Polin and Jon Polin, the parents of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, to offer condolences about the death of their son. The parents have been outspoken advocates for a hostage-release deal to get their son and others being held in Gaza home.
The family said in a statement Sunday it was “devastated to announce the death of their beloved son and brother” and thanked those who offered their support to the family.
Biden said in his statement he admired and grieved with the parents, who spoke at the Democratic National Convention last month.
“I have gotten to know his parents, Jon and Rachel. They have been courageous, wise, and steadfast, even as they have endured the unimaginable. They have been relentless and irrepressible champions of their son and of all the hostages held in unconscionable conditions. I admire them and grieve with them more deeply than words can express,” he said.
“I know all Americans tonight will have them in their prayers, just as Jill and I will. I have worked tirelessly to bring their beloved Hersh safely to them and am heartbroken by the news of his death. It is as tragic as it is reprehensible. 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,” he added.
National security adviser Jake Sullivan also spoke to the families of Americans who are being held hostage by Hamas on Sunday. He shared the news of Goldberg-Polin's death and discussed the U.S.’s continued push for a deal that will secure the release of the remaining hostages, according to a White House pool report.
