Following the discovery of six dead hostages in Gaza over the weekend, including Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who were believed to have been killed on Thursday or Friday as ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas stalled, President Biden has cut short his Labor Day vacation in Delaware to attend a meeting on the matter.
The Biden administration, according to a Washington Post report, has been collaborating with the governments of Egypt and Qatar on a “take or leave it” final outline for a ceasefire and hostage exchange deal between Israel and Hamas. A senior White House official who spoke to the outlet emphasized the urgency of the situation, saying, “You can’t keep negotiating this. This process has to be called at some point.” If neither side accepts the deal, these negotiations could mark the end of the American-led efforts.
In Israel, there has been increasing pressure on the government to drop its final demands and secure the release of the hostages. Reports suggest that three or four of the six murdered hostages might have been freed in the first phase of the proposed agreement. This has led to hundreds of thousands of protesters in Israel urging Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to agree to a ceasefire to facilitate the release of the remaining hostages.
Currently, 101 hostages are believed to remain in Gaza, seven of whom hold American citizenship. On Sunday, the families of these American hostages met with U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and White House Middle East Coordinator Brett McGurk to discuss the recovery of the six bodies and the status of ceasefire negotiations. According to the families, Sullivan stated that “the next few days will be critical in the push to free the remaining 101 hostages,” as reported by the Times of Israel.
The White House confirmed that Sullivan “discussed the ongoing diplomatic push across the highest levels of the U.S. government to drive towards a deal that secures the release of the remaining hostages.” The parents of Goldberg-Polin, who spoke at the Democratic National Convention in August, have been outspoken in urging efforts to bring home the hostages taken by Hamas on October 7.
“With broken hearts, the Goldberg-Polin family is devastated to announce the death of their beloved son and brother, Hersh. The family thanks you all for your love and support and asks for privacy at this time,” read a statement from the family.
In his own statement, President Biden praised the Goldberg family as “relentless and irrepressible champions of their son and of all the hostages held in unconscionable conditions.” He added, “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.”
