Who were the 6 hostages whose bodies were found in Gaza?

THE the bodies of six hostages captured after the Hamas attack on the Nova music festival on October 7 that sparked the war in Gaza were recovered early Sunday by the Israeli army. Among them was Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polinwhose parents led a highly publicized campaign for the release of the captives.

The Israeli military said the six men – identified as Goldberg-Polin, Eden Yerushalmi, Carmel Gat, Alexander Lobanov, Almog Sarusi and Ori Danino – were killed shortly before Israeli forces could rescue them. Their bodies were found in a tunnel under the southern Gaza city of Rafah.

The news sparked calls for mass protests by families of the hostages, who believe they could have been freed alive under a ceasefire deal.

Here’s what we know about the hostages:

Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23

A native of Berkeley, California, he lost part of his left arm to a grenade explosion during the October 7 attack. In April, a A video released by Hamas shows this with his left hand missing, sparking renewed protests in Israel urging the government to do more to guarantee his freedom and that of others.

His parents, American-born immigrants who settled in Israel, have become perhaps the most high-profile hostage relatives on the international stage, meeting with President Biden, Pope Francis and other figures and addressing the United Nations to call for the release of all the hostages.

On August 21, his parents addressed a silent audience at the Democratic National Convention, following sustained applause and chants of “bring him home.”

Both wore stickers with the number 320, representing the number of days their son had been held in their arms. It had long been part of a morning ritual: tear off a new piece of tape, mark another day.

“We feel extreme despair,” said Rachel Goldberg-Polin, his mother. said “Face the Nation” “We’ve had tremendous access and sympathy, open doors and a lot of hugs from all across the U.S. government. But it’s a very binary situation.”

They sought to prevent their son and the other captives from being reduced to small numbers, describing Hersh as a music and football enthusiast and a traveler who had planned to attend college since completing his military service. During the events, Rachel often spoke directly to her son, urging him to live another day.

Eden Yerushalmi, 24 years old

Yerushalmi, born in Tel Aviv, enjoyed spending his summer days at the beach and was studying to become a Pilates instructor, according to the Hostage Families Forum, which leads advocacy efforts for the release of the captives.

She worked as a bartender at the Tribe of Nova outdoor music festival. When the first Hamas rocket attack set off air raid sirens, she sent a video to her family saying she was leaving the party. During the attack, she called the police and was in contact with her sisters over the next four hours, the forum said.

“They caught me,” were his last words.

Carmel Gat, 40

The Tel Aviv occupational therapist was “full of compassion and love” and enjoyed solo travel, rock concerts and the band Radiohead, according to the forum.

She was staying with her parents in Kibbutz Be’eri, one of the hardest-hit communities, when militants stormed their home and kidnapped her on the morning of October 7. Her parents were killed in the attack.

Hostages freed during the November ceasefire said she taught them meditation and yoga exercises to help them survive in captivity. They described her as their guardian angel.

Alexander Lobanov, 33 years old

Lobanov was married and the father of a two-year-old child and a five-month-old baby, born during his captivity. He had also been abducted from the music festival where he worked as a bar manager.

According to the forum, which cites witnesses, he helped evacuate people from the festival and fled with others before being abducted. The others managed to escape.

Almog Sarusi, 27

The forum described Sarusi as a “dynamic and positive person who loved to travel around Israel in his white jeep with his guitar.” He was at the music festival with his girlfriend of five years, who was killed in the attack.

The forum said Sarusi stayed with her after she was injured and then kidnapped her.

Ori Danino, 25

Danino, born in Jerusalem, was the eldest of five siblings and planned to study electrical engineering. “Ori was known for his ambition, his love of people and was loved by all. He loved nature and was very skilled,” the forum said.

He said he was kidnapped at the Nova Festival while driving home and trying to help others escape.