Joe Biden's Reaction to the Discovery of American Hostage's Body in Rafah: 'Hamas Will Pay for This Crime'

The family of 'Hersh Goldberg Polin', an Israeli-American hostage, announced the death of the young man early Sunday, September 2, ending the relentless campaign of his parents to save him, which included meetings with world leaders and a speech at the Democratic National Convention last month. The family issued their statement hours after the Israeli army announced that it had found the bodies of six hostages in a tunnel located in Rafah. U.S. President Joe Biden, who had met with the hostage's parents, said he was 'devastated and furious.' He stated, 'This is as tragic as it is reprehensible. Make no mistake, the leaders of Hamas will pay for these crimes. And we will continue our round-the-clock work to reach an agreement for the release of the remaining hostages.' Additionally, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris stated that Hamas 'must be eradicated' and that after the discovery of the bodies of American citizen Hersh Goldberg Polin and five other hostages in Gaza, Hamas cannot be allowed to control Gaza. Harris expressed condolences to 'John' and 'Rachel', the parents of Goldberg Polin, and declared, 'I have no priority higher than the safety of American citizens wherever they are in the world. President Biden and I will never waver in our commitment to the release of Americans and all hostages in Gaza.' She added, 'Hamas is an evil terrorist organization. With these murders, Hamas has more American blood on its hands. I strongly condemn Hamas's ongoing brutality, and the whole world must do the same. From the massacre of 1,200 people to sexual violence, hostage-taking, and these murders, Hamas's depravity is evident and horrific.' According to reports, the Israeli army's statement about finding six more bodies of hostages is likely to bring new urgent requests from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for an agreement to bring the remaining hostages home. The Israeli leader has taken a hardline stance in negotiations and has repeatedly stated that military pressure is needed to bring the hostages home. Israeli media reported that he has disagreed with senior security officials who have said that an agreement must be reached immediately. On Saturday night, September 2, the Israeli army found the bodies of six Israeli hostages in a Hamas tunnel in Rafah, southern Gaza, which the army stated had been killed by their guards, likely one or two days before the forces found them. The Israeli army did not know the exact location of the hostages but had indications of a general area where they might have been held. The military says it acted cautiously due to the possibility of hostages being held in this area. Forces began searching a tunnel complex yesterday until they found the hostages dead in the afternoon. At night, their bodies were pulled out of Gaza and brought to Israel for identification. The Israeli army states that there was no confrontation with Hamas terrorists inside the tunnel, and the guards who likely killed the six had fled the area. The tunnel where the deceased hostages were found is located about one kilometer from where soldiers found another hostage named Farhan Al-Qadi last week. Escalation of violence in the West Bank; at least 19 Palestinians have been killed and one Israeli soldier injured. Peace negotiations and hostage release are at risk; Netanyahu insists on military presence at the Philadelphi crossing. Failed Houthi attack on a cargo ship flying the Liberian flag in the Gulf of Aden. The Israeli army targeted Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon.