Stay Strong and Survive: Israeli Woman to Son Held Hostage in Gaza
In a heart-wrenching video message, the parents of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, a 23-year-old Israeli-American held hostage in Gaza, have urged him to "stay strong" and "survive" after Hamas released a proof-of-life video.
summarized insights:
Goldberg-Polin's mother and father are appealing for more decisive action to secure the release of their son and the remaining hostages, underscoring the urgent need for a new deal to end this ongoing crisis.
Goldberg-Polin was attending the Supernova music festival on October 7th when Hamas-led gunmen stormed Israel's border fence, killing around 1,200 people and taking 253 hostages.
The proof-of-life video shows him without his lower left arm, a grievous injury he sustained during the attack. In the video, which appears to have been recorded under duress, he says he has been held for almost 200 days and criticizes the Israeli government's efforts to negotiate the hostages' return.
His parents, Jon and Rachel Goldberg-Polin, have publicly called for Israel, Hamas, and international mediators, including the US, Egypt, and Qatar, to expedite negotiations for a new hostage release deal. "Be brave, lean in, seize this moment and get a deal done to reunite all of us with our loved ones and end the suffering in this region," they implored.
Rachel Goldberg-Polin directly addressed her son in an emotional plea: "Hersh, if you can hear this, we heard your voice today for the first time in 201 days and if you can hear us, we are telling you: 'We love you, stay strong, survive.'"
The video has intensified calls for a resolution to the hostage crisis. Weeks of indirect negotiations have failed to yield an agreement, with Hamas recently rejecting a proposal for a six-week ceasefire in exchange for the release of 40 hostages.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum emphasized the urgency, stating, "This distressing video serves as an urgent call to take swift and decisive action to resolve this horrific humanitarian crisis and ensure the safe return of our loved ones."
The conflict's toll extends far beyond the hostages. Since October 7th, over 34,200 people have been killed in Gaza, according to Hamas-run health authorities.
Israel's military campaign aims to dismantle Hamas and secure the release of hostages, but the humanitarian cost has been severe, particularly for the 1.5 million displaced Palestinians.
Goldberg-Polin's case is a stark reminder of the human cost of this conflict. His father, Jon Polin, shared his relief at seeing his son alive but expressed deep concern for his health and well-being, as well as that of the other hostages and all those suffering in the region.
Despite the grim situation, the Goldberg-Polin family remains hopeful. In an interview with Israeli public broadcaster Kan, Jon Polin said, "It seems to us that he is reading something that someone wrote to him. But the part I'm concentrating on is the last part, which, even if he read it, he spoke straight to me, to my wife Rachel and our daughters Libby and Orly. He told us he missed us and loved us. We take it as truth. Hearing him say that made us stronger."
As international pressure mounts, the Goldberg-Polin family and many others cling to the hope that their loved ones will be returned safely. The world watches and waits, hoping for a breakthrough that will bring peace and an end to the suffering on both sides of the conflict.
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