New York [US], September 2: Several U.S. Democratic lawmakers renewed calls for an Israeli-Hamas ceasefire on Sunday in reaction to the killing of six hostages in a tunnel under Gaza, while Republicans criticized President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for not giving stronger support to Israel.
Israel recovered the bodies of six hostages from a tunnel in Gaza where they were killed shortly before its troops reached them, triggering Israeli protests on Sunday and planned strikes over the failure to save them.
The military said the bodies of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who is an Israeli-American citizen, Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Alexander Lobanov, Almog Sarusi and Ori Danino have been returned to Israel.
U.S. President Joe Biden spoke with Goldberg-Polin's parents, Rachel Goldberg and Jon Polin, who appeared at the Democratic National Convention last month, to offer condolences, a White House official said.
Another U.S. official said U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan will hold a virtual meeting on Sunday with the families of American hostages held by Hamas.
Democratic U.S. Senator Dick Durbin said in a post on X, opens a new tab that he was "heartbroken and devastated" by the news of Goldberg-Polin's death, echoing sentiments of other U.S. officials and lawmakers.
Jonathan Dekel-Chen, whose son Sagui is another hostage with American citizenship, said the government of Benjamin Netanyahu has refused to engage in negotiations with Hamas to bring hostages home and time was running out.
Source: Fijian Broadcasting Corporation
