Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, along with five other hostages, reportedly fought to defend themselves in the moments before they were executed by Hamas terrorists in a Gaza tunnel, according to new details from the IDF investigation.
The families of the six hostages were briefed over the weekend by IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari, who shared that several of the victims tried to resist their attackers before being shot. The bodies of Goldberg-Polin, 23, and the other hostages—Eden Yerushalmi, 24, Ori Danino, 25, Alex Lobanov, 32, Carmel Gat, 40, and Almog Sarusi, 27—were discovered on August 31 in a tunnel beneath Rafah in southern Gaza. Evidence suggested that Goldberg-Polin, Danino, Lobanov, and Sarusi defended Yerushalmi and Gat before they were killed.
The tunnel conditions were described as dire, with no air vents, toilets, or showers, and too low for the hostages to stand. Items including protein bars, a flashlight, and a chess set were found at the scene, along with notepads that have been given to the families.
Autopsies revealed that all six hostages were killed by short-range gunshots, likely the day before their bodies were discovered during an IDF raid. Hamas has since taunted the families by releasing pre-recorded videos of the hostages, including a message from Goldberg-Polin where he told his family, “I love you, I miss you… keep on fighting.”
In a somber security cabinet meeting on Sunday, the IDF presented harrowing footage from the tunnel. The video, recorded by IDF forces, revealed the inhumane conditions in which the hostages were held.
Cabinet members were reportedly shocked and horrified by the footage, describing it as “extremely tough to watch.” The IDF plans to show the video to the victims’ families before deciding whether to release it to the public.
At a Knesset committee meeting on Monday, Esther Buchshtab, whose son Yagev was also murdered in captivity by Hamas, confirmed that her son was executed. She criticized government policy, saying that military pressure leads to the killing of hostages, rather than their rescue.
Mossad chief Dedi Barnea briefed the cabinet on ongoing negotiations for a deal, indicating that talks are still underway, with an American mediation proposal expected, but not guaranteed.
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