US President Joe Biden said Saturday that the body of an Israeli-American hostage was among six recovered in Gaza by Israeli forces during combat.
“Earlier today, in a tunnel under the city of Rafah, Israeli forces recovered six bodies of hostages held by Hamas,” Biden said in a statement. “We have now confirmed that one of the hostages… was an American citizen, Hersh Goldberg-Polin.”
Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) earlier said they had found several bodies in Gaza and were in the process of identifying them. They asked the public to refrain from spreading rumours about the identities of the bodies.
‘Netanyahu abandoned the hostages’
After the IDF broke the news, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum issued a statement calling on the public to prepare to hold sweeping protests tomorrow. “Netanyahu (Prime Minister) abandoned the hostages. “Starting tomorrow, the country will tremble. We call on the public to prepare. The country will grind to a halt. The abandonment is over.”
#BREAKING: Per @IDF: “The IDF located a number of bodies during combat in the Gaza Strip.At this time, the troops are still operating in the area and are carrying out a process to extract and identify the bodies that will last several hours. We ask to refrain from spreading…
— Israel War Room (@IsraelWarRoom) August 31, 2024
This report came as clashes broke out between Israeli troops and Palestinian fighters in the West Bank on Saturday 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.
US President Joe Biden said his staff was in contact with the Israelis and confirmed that they have discovered bodies in Gaza. He was unsure of the exact number of bodies. Biden added he was not at liberty to identify the bodies at this time.
‘It’s time this war ended’
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.” Biden added that “people are continuing to meet.” “We think we can close the deal, they’ve all said they agree on the principles.”
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. The war was triggered when Palestinian Islamist group Hamas attacked Israel, killing 1,200 and taking about 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.
(With agency inputs)
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