The bodies of six hostages were found by Israeli special forces in a tunnel in Gaza on Saturday.
Israel said the captives were “brutally murdered by Hamas terrorists shortly before we reached them”.
The hostages were all kidnapped on October 7 and were found in Rafah roughly one km from the tunnel from where Qaid Al-Alkadi, another hostage, was found earlier this week.
Among those found on Saturday was Hersh Goldberg-Polin, an American-Israeli, who was seen alive with a hand missing in a proof-of-life video published by Hamas earlier this year.
The others discovered were Ori Danino, Alex Lobanov, Almog Sarusi, Carmel Gat, and Eden Yerushalmi.
A senior Israeli official told the Telegraph that at least three of the hostages were due to be exchanged in a ceasefire deal that recently collapsed.
“Hersh, Carmel and Eden were all on the list of hostages set to be released in the July 2 ceasefire proposal presented by Biden. We could have saved them,” the official said.
The Hostages Forum, which represents families of captives, issued a statement on Sunday morning announcing a “complete halt of the country” through mass demonstrations.
Benny Gantz, the leader of the opposition party, National Unity, also called on the public to demonstrate against the government on Sunday.
Kamala Harris, the Vice President of the US, sent her condolences to the family of Israeli-American Mr Goldberg-Polin, saying: “I have no higher priority than the safety of American citizens, wherever they are in the world. President Biden and I will never waver in our commitment to free the Americans and all those held hostage in Gaza.”
Mr Goldberg-Polin, 23, was the born in Born in the US before immigrating to Israel with his parents, Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg, at age 7.
He attended the Nova music festival where his arm was injured during the terror attack. On April 24, Hamas released a video of Mr Hersh showing his amputated hand. His mother told The Telegraph at the time that the family were “very happy that he was alive,” but that he “looked completely different after seven months in captivity.
Alexander Lobanov, 32, from the coastal city of Ashkelon, was also kidnapped on October 7 from the Nova Music Festival where he worked as a bar manager
Mr Lobanov leaves behind him two children,a two-year-old and a five-month-old baby born while he was in captivity. Testimonies indicate that he helped evacuate people and ran with five others in the Be’eri forest, but while they escaped, he was captured, according to the Hostages Forum.
Carmel Gat, 40, was kidnapped from Kibbutz Be’eri where she was visiting her parents, Eshel and Kinneret, on October 7. Ms Gat was an occupational therapist, “full of compassion and love, always finding ways to support and help others. She loved solo travel, meeting new people, live rock music concerts, and was particularly fond of Radiohead”, the Hostages Forum said in a press release.
“After 50 days without a sign of life, the family received testimonies from returned hostages, who described Carmel as their guardian angel. To survive captivity, she taught them meditation and yoga exercises,” the forum added.
Almog Sarusi, 27, from the central Israeli city of Ra’anana, was kidnapped from the Nova music festival on October 7. Mr. Sarusi attended the festival with his girlfriend Shahar, who was killed by terrorists during the massacre.
The Hostages Forum described him as a “vibrant, positive person who loved travelling around Israel in his white jeep with his guitar”. Mr Sarusi was the son of Yigal and Nira and brother to Amit.
Eden Yerushalmi, 24, from Tel Aviv was kidnapped from the Nova music festival on October 7 where she worked as a bartender.
The Hostages Forum said that Ms Yerushalmi called the police during the terror attack, describing the situation and pleading, “Find me, okay?”
“For four hours afterward, she spoke with her sisters May and Shani, who heard everything she went through as she tried to escape. Her last words were, ‘Shani, they’ve caught me,’” the forum said.
Ms Yerushalmi was described as a “vibrant young woman with many friends and hobbies, Eden loved spending summer days at the beach playing paddleball, attending parties, and was studying to become a Pilates instructor”. Ms Yerushalmi leaves behind her two siblings, May and Shani, and two parents, Shirit and Maor.
Ori Danino, 25, from Jerusalem, was kidnapped from the Nova music festival on October 7 driving back to help others escape and survive. Mr Danino was the son of Einav and Elchanan, eldest of five siblings, and partner to Liel.
He planned to begin his academic studies in electrical engineering, was known for “his ambition, love for people, and was beloved by all. He loved nature and was very handy,” according to the forum.
Defence Minister Gallant warned that hostages may die as a result of the collapsed ceasefire deal in the security cabinet meeting earlier this week, according to reports in Israeli media.
The security cabinet voted to keep IDF forces in the Philadelphi corridor, a buffer zone separating Gaza from Egypt and the main sticking point in the ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas.
“The entire nation will stand alongside the hostages’ families to protest the cabinet’s ongoing neglect of the hostages,” the forum said.
Protests will take place in Jerusalem during today’s cabinet meeting at 4pm local time, and outside the Defence Ministry HQ in Tel Aviv at 7pm local time.
“They will also call upon leaders of the world to exert all possible pressure on Hamas to sign the deal,” the forum added.
Mr Gantz, who withdrew from the government’s war cabinet in protest over the war earlier this year, said: “Netanyahu hesitates, is afraid and plays for time due to political considerations instead of acting. A game that costs human life.”
“This morning our students go to school, and the public has to go out into the street. The time has come to replace the government of absolute failure. Go out and demonstrate,” he added.
Opposition Leader Yair Lapid also lashed out at the government, saying: “Instead of making a deal they are doing politics, instead of saving lives, they are burying the hostages. Instead of doing everything to bring them home, Netanyahu is doing everything to stay in power. The government of disasters is burying the State of Israel,” Mr. Lapid said.
‘Heart of nation shattered’
President Isaac Herzog said the “heart of an entire nation is shattered to pieces with the news of the murder” of the hostages.
“On behalf of the State of Israel, I embrace their families with all my heart, and apologize for failing to bring them home safely,” Mr. Herzog added.
At least 40,691 Palestinians have been killed and 94,060 injured in Israel’s military offensive in the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, the enclave’s health ministry said in a statement on Saturday.
On Saturday, clashes broke out between Israeli troops and Palestinian fighters in the occupied West Bank as Israel pushed ahead with a military operation in the flashpoint city of Jenin.
Hundreds of Israeli troops have been carrying out raids since Wednesday in one of their largest actions in the West Bank in months.
Mr Biden, speaking to reporters in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, said he was “still optimistic” about a ceasefire deal to stop the conflict.
“I think we’re on the verge of having an agreement,” he said. “It’s time this war ended.” He added that “people are continuing to meet”. “We think we can close the deal, they’ve all said they agree on the principles.”
Source Agencies
