Harris says 'Hamas must be eliminated' as IDF identifies 6 hostages found dead in Gaza tunnel

US Vice President Kamala Harris condemned the death of six Israeli hostages whose bodies were recovered by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) from Gaza on Saturday. The Democratic Presidential nominee said in a statement that Hamas “must be eliminated” and cannot be allowed to control Gaza.

She also extended condolences to the family of Israeli-US national Hersch Goldberg-Polin, who was one of the hostages found in the recent search. The comments from the Vice President came shortly after the Israeli military revealed the identities of the hostages whose bodies were reportedly found under a tunnel in Rafah.

The hostages were Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23, Eden Yerushalmi, 24, Ori Danino, 25, Alex Lubnov, 32, Carmel Gat, 40, and Almog Sarusi, 25. As per the recent update, the IDF stated that the six hostages were murdered by Hamas a short while, possibly around a day or two, before troops found them. The IDF made it clear that there were no clashes with Hamas during the search operation. The tunnel where the slain hostages were found in Rafah was just about a kilometre away from where soldiers found hostage Farhan al-Qadi earlier this week.

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Harris calls Hamas an evil organisation

While extending condolences to Goldberg-Polin’s parents Jon and Rachel, Harris emphasised that the safety of Americans is her “top priority”. “I have no higher priority than the safety of American citizens, wherever they are in the world. President Biden and I will never waver in our commitment to free the Americans and all those held hostage in Gaza," the 59-year-old presidential hopeful said in a statement.

“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. From its massacre of 1,200 people to sexual violence, taking of hostages, and these murders, Hamas’ depravity is evident and horrifying,” she added.

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Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden called for the end of the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. “It’s time this war ended. We should end this war. I think we’re on the verge of having an agreement,” he remarked.

“I have worked tirelessly to bring their beloved Hersh safely to them and am heartbroken by the news of his death. It is as tragic as it is reprehensible. 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.

The anger keeps brewing among the families of the hostages

Shortly after the news broke out, the group called Hostages and Missing Families Forum issued a statement slamming Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and called for demonstrations across the country.

“Netanyahu abandoned the hostages. Now it’s a fact,” the group said adding that “starting tomorrow the country will tremble, we are calling on the public to prepare.” Following the statement, the families of hostages gathered for an emergency meeting at the group’s headquarters. They discussed the plans to hold a demonstration on Sunday.

The forum said that the six murdered hostages would still be alive if the Israeli government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had reached a deal with Hamas for their release. “If it weren’t for the saboteurs, the excuses, and the spin, the hostages whose deaths we learned of this morning would probably be alive,” the forum says in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

מטה משפחות החטופים מרכין ראש על הירצחם בשבי של אורי דנינו, אלכס לובנוב, אלמוג סרוסי, הירש גולדברג פולין, כרמל גת ועדן ירושלמי ז״ל.

בצער רב אנו שוב מודיעים על הירצחם של 6 חטופים וחטופות. 6 אנשים ונשים שנחטפו בחיים ושרדו את התופת בשבי ונרצחו בדם קר.

במשך 11 חודשים ממשלת ישראל… pic.twitter.com/rvCUnHRCiy

— מטה המשפחות להחזרת החטופים והנעדרים (@BringThemHome23) September 1, 2024

“Netanyahu: enough of the excuses. Enough of the spin. Enough of the abandonment. The time has come to bring our hostages home — those living for rehabilitation and the fallen and murdered for burial in their land,” the group added.

Hostages were ‘brutally murdered: IDF

Meanwhile, IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari stated that the six hostages who were recovered from southern Gaza’s Rafah were “brutally murdered” by Hamas shortly before troops arrived. “According to an initial assessment… they were brutally murdered by Hamas terrorists a short while before we reached them. They were abducted alive on the morning of October 7 by the Hamas terror group," the IDF spokesperson explained at a press conference.

“Their bodies were found during the fighting in Rafah, in a tunnel, about a kilometre away from the tunnel from which we rescued Farhan al-Qadi a few days ago,” the Israeli official furthered.

Meanwhile, Opposition Leader Yair Lapid accused the Netanyahu administration of “burying the hostages”. “Instead of making a deal they are doing politics, instead of saving lives, they are burying the hostages. Instead of doing everything to bring them home, [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu is doing everything to stay in power. The government of disasters is burying the State of Israel,” he wrote on X.

בלב שבור. נרצחו בשבי. יהי זכרם ברוך pic.twitter.com/u9B68Jokde

— יאיר לפיד - Yair Lapid (@yairlapid) September 1, 2024

Following this incident, there are expected to be only 97 hostages live in Gaza, out 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.