6 bodies have been recovered from the tunnels amid a ceasefire in Gaza and a polio campaign for more than 6 lakh children. Israel has confirmed that all these bodies were Israeli hostages held by Hamas. These include the body of an American hostage. US President Joe Biden said on this incident that he is very angry with the recovery of the bodies of six hostages from the Gaza Strip, but now the time has come for a ceasefire and he will work 24 hours for it. Describing this incident as “tragic” and “reprehensible”, Biden also warned that “Hamas leaders will have to pay the price for these crimes”.
The US President said that the Israeli military on Saturday recovered the bodies of six people held hostage by Hamas in a tunnel beneath the city of Rafah. “We have now confirmed that one of the hostages killed by these vicious Hamas terrorists was an American citizen, Hersh Goldberg-Polin,” Biden said in a statement released by the White House. “It’s time for this war to end. We must end this war,” Biden said.
In a statement delivered at the White House, she said, “Hamas is an evil terrorist organization. With these killings, Hamas has even more American blood on its hands. I strongly condemn Hamas’s continued brutality, and the entire world should condemn it as well. From the massacre of thousands to sexual violence, hostage-taking, and these killings, Hamas’s evil is clear and horrifying.”
Hamas killed the hostages before the army arrived
On the other hand, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday vowed to “settle scores” with Hamas after the Israeli army recovered the bodies of six hostages from a Gaza tunnel. Netanyahu said in a statement, “Those who killed the hostages do not want any agreement for a Gaza ceasefire.” He said in a message to Hamas terrorists, “We will pursue you, we will catch you and we will settle accounts”.
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari told The Times of Israel that the six hostages recovered from Rafah in southern Gaza were “brutally murdered” by Hamas shortly before IDF troops arrived. American citizen Goldberg Polin was abducted by Hamas during a Hamas attack on October 7. Polin was attending the Nova music festival. Israel launched its war against the Palestinian group after Hamas attacks on October 7, which left more than 1,200 Israelis dead and 250 taken hostage, according to Israeli officials.