Biden, Harris call parents of slain American hostage, as Western leaders express horror
Diplomats from some 30 countries attend vigil held by hostage families after six captives murdered by Hamas in Gaza; international community urges ceasefire
US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on Sunday spoke with the parents of murdered American-Israeli hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, a White House official said, as Western leaders expressed horror at the killing of six of the hostages by Hamas
The hostages had survived almost 11 months of captivity, following their abduction from Israel on October 7, when thousands of Hamas-led terrorists invaded southern Israel, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, starting the ongoing war.
The White House did not release any details of the conversation with Rachel Goldberg-Polin and Jon Polin, who had been some of the most high-profile international campaigners to secure the release of their son and the other hostages.
Harris also phoned them.
“Doug and I just spoke to Jon and Rachel, Hersh Goldberg-Polin’s parents, to express our condolences following the brutal murder of their son by Hamas terrorists. My heart breaks for their pain and anguish,” Harris posted on X.
“I told them: As they mourn this terrible loss, they are not alone. Our nation mourns with them,” the Democratic candidate added.
Meanwhile, Republican candidate, former president Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that “The Hostage Crisis in Israel is only taking place because Comrade Kamala Harris is weak and ineffective, and has no idea what she’s doing.
“I look forward to seeing her at the Debate!” he adds. “THE OCTOBER 7th ISRAELI CRISIS WOULD NEVER HAVE HAPPENED IF I WERE PRESIDENT!”
Biden was one of many Western leaders on Sunday who said they were “devastated,” “heartbroken,” and “completely shocked” at the Hamas terror group’s murder of the six Israeli hostages, all of whom coupled their condemnations with calls for a hostage-ceasefire deal.
Diplomats from some 30 countries, including Britain, Germany, Austria, the United States, and India, attended a vigil on Sunday at the Hostages and Missing Families Forum headquarters in Tel Aviv.
At the vigil, US Ambassador Jack Lew said the murder of Goldberg-Polin “is not something we take lightly,” saying he wanted to share “our heartfelt condolences” for all the hostages’ families, “but also our outrage.”
Foreign diplomats representing some 30 nations light candles at a vigil for six hostages whose bodies the IDF said it recovered over the weekend shortly after they were murdered by Hamas, at the Hostages Families Forum headquarters in Tel Aviv. pic.twitter.com/x3qfwMHLY1
— Noam Lehmann (@insomniacalpaca) September 1, 2024
Washington, “from the president on down,” is working toward a hostages-for-ceasefire deal, said Lew, adding, “For weeks, we’ve been saying that time is of the essence. Last night, we saw we’re already in overtime.”
Earlier, Biden said in a statement that he was “devastated and outraged” over the American citizen’s killing, and extended his condolences to the slain hostage’s parents, noting that he has “gotten to know” the couple over the last year.
“I admire them and grieve with them more deeply than words can express,” the president said.
“Make no mistake, Hamas leaders will pay for these crimes. And we will keep working around the clock for a deal to secure the release of the remaining hostages,” he added.
I've worked tirelessly to bring Hersh home, and Jill and I could not be more heartbroken by the news of his death.
It is tragic and reprehensible.
Hamas leaders will pay for these crimes. And we'll continue working towards a deal to secure the release of the remaining hostages. pic.twitter.com/SKL99gGjOP
— President Biden (@POTUS) September 1, 2024
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer wrote on X that he was “completely shocked at the horrific and senseless killing of six hostages in Gaza by Hamas,” calling on the terror group to release all its captives and saying “a ceasefire deal must be agreed to by all sides immediately to end the suffering.”
The European Union’s top diplomat Josep Borrell also took to the social network on Sunday, saying he was “horrified at the murder of 6 Israeli hostages of Hamas. These young innocent men [and] women should have long been brought to safety and to their loved ones.
“We stand with all the hostages” he continued, and added, “We need a ceasefire to end this tragedy & bring all hostages home.”
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on X on Sunday: “I will never forget my meeting last October with the parents of Hersh Goldberg-Polin and other hostage families. Today’s tragic news is a devastating reminder of the need for the unconditional release of all hostages and an end to the nightmare of war in Gaza.” The statement did not mention Hamas.
Israel and the terror group have conducted on-and-off negotiations, through intermediaries, for months to arrive at a deal exchanging a hostage release for a ceasefire and the release of Palestinian security prisoners. Both sides said they agreed to a framework presented by the US in May, but subsequent negotiations failed to reach a deal.
Harris, who is also her party’s nominee for president in the upcoming election, said in a statement on Saturday that Hamas “must be eliminated” and cannot be allowed to control Gaza.”
“Hamas is an evil terrorist organization. With these murders, Hamas has even more American blood on its hands. I strongly condemn Hamas’ continued brutality, and so must the entire world,” she said.
Harris extended her condolences to Goldberg-Polin’s family, saying, “When I met with Jon and Rachel earlier this year, I told them: You are not alone. That remains true, as they mourn this terrible loss.
“As is said in the Jewish tradition, may Hersh’s memory be a blessing,” she added.
Hamas continues to hold seven American citizens in Gaza, including three who are confirmed dead.
Axios reported Sunday morning that White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan was expected to meet virtually with the families of American hostages later in the day.
It is believed that 97 of the 251 hostages abducted by Hamas on October 7 remain in Gaza, including the bodies of at least 33 confirmed dead by the IDF.
Hamas released 105 civilians during a weeklong truce in late November, and four hostages were released before that. Eight hostages have been rescued by troops alive, and the bodies of 37 hostages have also been recovered, including three mistakenly killed by the military as they tried to escape their captors.
Hamas is also holding two Israeli civilians who entered the Strip in 2014 and 2015, as well as the bodies of two IDF soldiers who were killed in 2014.
The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry says more than 40,000 people in the Strip have been killed or are presumed dead in the fighting so far, though the toll cannot be verified and does not differentiate between civilians and fighters. Israel says it has killed some 17,000 combatants in battle and another 1,000 terrorists inside Israel on October 7.
Israel has said it seeks to minimize civilian fatalities and stresses that Hamas uses Gaza’s civilians as human shields, fighting from civilian areas including homes, hospitals, schools, and mosques.
