A Palestinian Prime Minister Has Come to an End: Israeli Retaliatory Insurgency in Gaza and the Call for the Hostages’ Release
Goldberg-Polin’s parents were immigrants to Israel and became one of the most high-profile families 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.
She and her husband tried to keep their son from being reduced to numbers, and described him as a musician and soccer player who has plans to attend university after he concludes his military service.
Hundreds of thousands of people poured into the streets late Sunday in grief and anger after six hostages were found dead. The families and much of the public blamed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying they could have been returned alive in a deal with Hamas to end the nearly 11-month-old war.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive in Gaza has killed over 40,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials, who do not say how many were fighters or civilians. It has displaced the vast majority of Gaza’s 2.3 million people, often multiple times, and plunged the besieged territory into a humanitarian catastrophe.
There was no immediate comment from Hamas. The militant group has offered to release the hostages in return for an end to the war, the withdrawal of Israeli forces and the release of a large number of Palestinian prisoners, including high-profile militants.
“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 said that it was time to bring our hostages home.
A group of hostages’ families has called for a protest on Sunday demanding a cease-fire and hostage release.
The Sept. 7 Attack on Israel triggered the Second Israeli-Israel War and its Implications for the Security of the State and Security of Israel
Israel’s mostly ceremonial president, Isaac Herzog, said: “The heart of an entire nation is shattered to pieces.” Gallant said: “In the name of the state of Israel, I hold their families close to my heart and ask forgiveness.” There was no immediate comment from Netanyahu.
But others support Netanyahu’s strategy of maintaining relentless military pressure on Hamas, whose Oct. 7 attack into Israel triggered the war. They say it will eventually force the militants to give in to Israeli demands, potentially lead to more successful rescues and ultimately annihilate the group.
The military said they were murdered by Hamas before they arrived.
The bodies were found in a tunnel near where another hostage, Qaid Alkadi, 52, was found alive last week.
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.
The native of Berkeley lost part of his arm 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.
Hersh Goldberg-Polin and four other hostages were held bymilitants after a Hamas attack on a music festival in southern Israel.
Three people were killed when attackers opened fire on a car in the occupied West Bank, where Israel has been conducting large-scale military raids in recent days. Israel’s Magen David Adom rescue service has confirmed the casualties.
The Israeli Defense Ministry pressed for an end to the Israeli-Gazaar war and pushed for a resolution of the Israeli civilian casualty crisis
He was one of the best- known hostages and his parents had led a high-profile campaign for the captives’ release.
“In the name of the state of Israel, I hold their families close to my heart and ask forgiveness,” Gallant said Sunday after the remains were recovered. He requested that the Cabinet reverse its decision.
Hamas has offered to release the hostages in return for an end to the war, the withdrawal of Israeli forces and the release of a large number of Palestinian prisoners, including high-profile militants.
Izzat al-Rishq, a Hamas official, said the hostages would still be alive if Israel had accepted a U.S.- backed cease-fire proposal that the Islamic group had agreed to back in July.
Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, a military spokesperson, said the army believed there were hostages in the area but had no specific intelligence. He said Israeli forces found the bodies several dozen meters (yards) underground as “ongoing combat” was underway, but that there was no firefight in the tunnel itself.
Israel’s largest trade union called for a general strike on Monday in order to pressure the government to end the war in Gaza.
The Histadrut represents some 800,000 workers in such areas as health care, transportation and banking, and it said the strike would include the international airport, with all flights halted. The strike is aimed at persuading Israel’s government to reach a deal to bring home the remaining hostages.
A new wave of protests was set to begin Sunday evening in Israel, fueled by raw anger and grief. Netanyahu is blamed by many Israelis for not saving them in the end of the war. The negotiations have dragged on for a long time.
The war has displaced the vast majority of Gaza’s 2.3 million people, often multiple times, and plunged the besieged territory into a humanitarian catastrophe.
More than half a million people joined nationwide events on Sunday in what was thought to be the largest demonstration since the start of the war. Israeli media estimated that 200,000 to 400,000 took part.
Many municipalities, however, including Jerusalem, were not participating in the strike. Israeli media reported that the state appealed to a labor court to cancel the strike, saying it was politically motivated.
Airlines at Israel’s main international airport Ben-Gurion were halting outgoing flights between 8:00 and 10:00 a.m. Travelers lined up at check-in counter despite the limited disruption of those flights departing early or being slightly delayed. According to the Israel Airports Authority, arriving flights were continuing as usual.