The remains of six hostages taken by Hamas have been discovered in Gaza, coinciding with a planned pause in hostilities to facilitate the rollout of the polio vaccine.
The bodies, including that of 23-year-old American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, were found on Saturday in an underground tunnel in the Rafah area and subsequently identified by Israeli authorities. According to a military statement, the hostages were allegedly murdered by Hamas terrorists shortly before Israeli forces reached them. Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari confirmed the identities of the deceased, who included Eden Yerushalmi, 24, Carmel Gat, 39, Almog Sarusi, 26, Alex Lubnov, 26, and Master Sergeant Ori Danino, 25.
These individuals were part of a group of 251 hostages captured during the October 7 attack on southern Israel by Palestinian militants. The Israeli military reports that around 100 hostages remain in captivity, with dozens feared dead.
In response to the tragic discovery, Israeli President Isaac Herzog expressed his grief on social media, mourning the loss and extending condolences to the victims’ families. He also reaffirmed Israel’s commitment to continue fighting Hamas to bring the remaining hostages home safely.
U.S. President Joe Biden also condemned the killings, describing them as “tragic and reprehensible.” He vowed that Hamas leaders would be held accountable and emphasized ongoing efforts to secure the release of the remaining hostages.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, an advocacy group, mourned the deaths and urged for a ceasefire, criticizing the delays and actions that may have contributed to the hostages’ deaths. Conversely, Senior Hamas official Izzat El-Reshiq blamed Israel’s refusal to agree to a ceasefire for the deaths.
Meanwhile, the humanitarian situation in Gaza remains dire. Israel’s retaliatory military campaign has left the territory in ruins, severely impacting water and sanitation facilities. The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported the first confirmed case of polio in Gaza in 25 years, prompting the urgent launch of a vaccination campaign.
Vaccinations began on Saturday, with a broader campaign set to follow. The WHO noted that Israel agreed to several three-day humanitarian pauses to allow the vaccination effort to proceed. The campaign aims to immunize 640,000 children against polio, with at least 90% of children under 10 needing to be vaccinated in a short period to prevent an outbreak.
UN agencies and local health officials are working to vaccinate the children, with over 400 fixed vaccination sites and more than 2,000 workers involved, primarily locals. The campaign’s first round of vaccinations involves administering two drops of oral polio vaccine, with a second round scheduled four weeks later to prevent mutation.
The urgency of the campaign was underscored by the case of baby Abdulrahman Abu Judyan, who was diagnosed with polio and is now partially paralyzed in one leg. His mother, Niveen, explained that he was due to receive his vaccination on October 7, the day of the Hamas attack. Since then, the family has faced immense hardship, moving multiple times and struggling with basic necessities like clean drinking water.
