Hersh Goldberg-Polin, aged 23 and originally from the Chicago area, is believed to be among the individuals currently held as hostages in the Gaza Strip, which is under the control of Hamas. This information comes from sources linked to Hersh Goldberg-Polin's family.
Tel Aviv — As Israeli forces advance further into Gaza, intensifying the conflict with Hamas, the families of Israeli hostages trapped in tunnels beneath the battleground are grappling with increasing desperation over the fate of their loved ones.
Rachel Goldberg shared her distress with CBS News, revealing that her son, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23, was taken hostage during Hamas' terror attack at the Supernova music festival on Oct. 7. Witnesses reported that Hersh lost an arm in the attack and had to apply his tourniquet.
Hersh is one of eight Americans believed to be still held captive in Gaza, among over 130 individuals whose return remains uncertain.
A seven-day cease-fire provided a reprieve, during which Hamas released 110 hostages in exchange for the liberation of numerous Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails.
Those freed hostages conveyed harrowing accounts of their captivity, describing unsanitary conditions, malnourishment, and a shortage of oxygen in the intricate network of tunnels believed to extend around 300 miles beneath the Gaza Strip.
Expressing concern not only for her son but also for all innocent individuals affected by the crisis, Rachel Goldberg emphasized the plight of civilians in Gaza and those taken captive on October 7th and now stranded in Gaza.
This week, Jonathan Polin, Goldberg-Polin's father, joined other relatives in meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel's war cabinet. Their objective was to urge the immediate resumption of negotiations with Hamas for a new cease-fire.
"I don't know if the cabinet needed a push to get these hostages out, but if they did, it happens today," remarked Jonathan Polin to CBS News.
In an emotional plea, Rachel Goldberg addressed her son directly, expressing love and encouragement: "If Hersh somehow, somewhere can hear this — just know we love you, stay strong, survive. We're coming. The world is coming."
