Hersh Goldberg-Polin was born in California and immigrated to Israel with his family in 2008.
New Delhi:
Israeli-American hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin was declared dead early Sunday morning by Israeli authorities. The 23-year-old was abducted by Hamas militants during the October 7 attack in southern Israel.
Despite hopes for his safe return, his body was found on Saturday in the tunnels beneath Rafah, along with five other hostages.
“With broken hearts, the Goldberg-Polin family is devastated by the passing of their beloved son and brother, Hersh. The family thanks all of you for your love and support and requests your privacy at this time.” photo.twitter.com/sof97ktOf2
— Israel ישראל (@Israel) September 1, 2024
Who was Hersh Goldberg-Polin?
Hersh Goldberg-Polin was born in Oakland, California, and immigrated to Israel with his family in 2008 at the age of seven.
Being both Israeli and American, he had dual citizenship.
He was described as a “happy-go-lucky” person, with a deep passion for geography and travel, interests that were evident from his youth. His bedroom was filled with atlases, globes and National Geographic magazines. Before his abduction, Mr Goldberg-Polin had planned to travel the world in December 2023, a dream that was tragically cut short by the events at the Nova music festival.
Hersh Goldberg-Polin was kidnapped during the Hamas attack on the Nova music festival in southern Israel on October 7, 2023. He was one of hundreds of young festival-goers taken hostage in the surprise attack, which left more than 1,200 dead. Mr. Goldberg-Polin and his friends initially took refuge in a bomb shelter, where he bravely attempted to throw back grenades thrown by Hamas militants, ultimately losing his left arm from the elbow down.
His parents, Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg-Polin, were among the most vocal advocates for the release of the hostages, including their son. They met regularly with top US officials and publicly urged the Israeli government to negotiate a deal to release the hostages.
Hersh Goldberg-Polin was declared dead on September 1, after nearly a year in captivity. His body was found in Hamas-run tunnels beneath the city of Rafah, and it was reported that they were killed shortly before Israeli forces reached them.