Hersh Goldberg-Polin: The 'happy-go-lucky' Israeli-American who became a symbol of Israel's enduring hostage heartbreak

Hersh Goldberg-Polin, one of the most recognizable faces of the heart-wrenching hostage crisis that sparked the Israel-Hamas war, has died, bringing a crushing end to a tireless and high-profile international campaign by his parents to secure his release.

The 23-year-old Israeli-American’s ordeal had come to symbolize the pain and agony of the more than 100 hostages still held in Gaza, with banners and murals demanding their return often displayed in Jerusalem and around the world.

His death, announced Sunday in a family statement, has sparked fresh heartbreak and horror for the hostage families who fear that time is running out for their loved ones seized by Hamas as pressure grows on the Israeli government to secure a ceasefire agreement.

Goldberg-Polin, who was among the hundreds of young people attending the Nova music festival in southern Israel on October 7, was forced to hide in a bomb shelter with his friends as Hamas militants launched a surprise attack, killing more than 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/hersh-goldberg-polin-the-happy-go-lucky-israeli-american-who-became-a-symbol-of-israel-s-enduring-hostage-heartbreak/ar-AA1pNdhy