Video confirms Israeli intel that hostage Goldberg-Polin underwent surgery in Gaza after October 7 — official

The Israeli intelligence assessment ahead of today was that Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin was still alive, an official familiar with the matter tells The Times of Israel.

The intelligence assessment determined that Goldberg-Polin had undergone some kind of surgery after he was forcibly taken into Gaza by Hamas-led terrorists on October 7, the official says.

The 23-year-old had been attending the Nova music festival when the onslaught began and had fled to a field shelter with roughly two dozen other attendees.

When terrorists began hurling grenades into the shelter, Goldberg-Polin’s friend Aner Shapira managed to toss seven grenades back out, saving those inside before he was killed by the eighth grenade.

Goldberg-Polin also tried to pick up one of the grenades to save those inside but it detonated before he could fully throw it out, causing him to lose half of his arm, the official says.

US and Israeli authorities are still reviewing the propaganda video published by Hamas earlier today, but early indications are that it has proven the intelligence assessment accurate, the official says.

Separately, a senior US official tells The Times of Israel that Washington received the video two days ago and has been in touch with the Goldberg-Polin family.

The video is being actively examined by the FBI and Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell, the senior official adds.