World
Moment Hamas terrorists drive off with three blood-soaked hostages, including American Hersh Goldberg-Polin
Gruesome, newly released video shows gun-toting Hamas terrorists driving three blood-soaked Israeli hostages whom they had just abducted from the Nova Festival in a truck back to Gaza as they scream, “Allahu Akbar.”
Hostages Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Or Levy and Eliyah Cohen can be seen covered in blood in the bed of a white truck as the gleeful terrorists brandish their weapons and celebrate the capture of the festival-goers, according to footage released Monday by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum.
Goldberg-Polin, an Israeli American citizen, can be seen with his bone protruding from his arm as the triumphant terrorists lift him by the hair and force him to look directly into the camera.
Despite appearing to be the most badly hurt from the attack after a grenade blew up his arm, Goldberg-Polin, 23, was the sole hostage who remained sitting up as Levy, 33, and Cohen, 26, remained relatively motionless in the back of the truck as the terrorists howled with excitement.
The harrowing video was released with permission from the families, with Levy’s relatives noting that it was the first time they had seen him alive.
“Kind of a relief, a happy day to see that he was alive and kind of okay, but at the same time it was horrific,” Levy’s brother, Michael, told The Post.
“Or is my youngest brother I’m used to protecting him and guarding him and helping him with everything,” he added. “Seeing the horror on his face without being able to do anything to help was one of the most difficult things I had to experience. You feel helpless.”
Michael, who first watched the video six months ago, noted that the blood covering Levy’s clothes likely belonged to his wife, Eynav, who was “murdered in front of him” at the festival.
He added that the worst part of the video appeared to be the sheer joy the gunmen expressed as they killed Israelis and hauled his brother and the other hostages away.
“That was the hardest thing on this video, that you can see how much they enjoy the fact that people are suffering,” Michael said.
While the kidnapping has been hard on the entire Levy family, Michael said it has been the hardest on Levy and Eynav’s son, who is just turning 3-year-old on Tuesday.
Michael said his nephew is always asking about his parents and often breaks down when he sees other kids being picked up by their mothers and fathers from school.
“He just sits there and cries sometimes,” the heartbroken brother said.
Goldberg-Polin’s mother, Rachel, said that while her husband and daughter have seen the video, she has yet to find the strength to see it herself, with her daughter telling her she didn’t have to look.
“You don’t need to see Hersh covered in blood with his jagged bone sticking out. You don’t need to see someone yank him by his hair to make him look into the camera,” Rachel’s daughter told the anguished mother.
“You’re in enough pain,” she added.
Like with previous videos featuring her son and other hostages, Rachel hopes that this new video will raise awareness that eight Americans are among the some 120 hostages who remain in Gaza as the war approaches its ninth month.
She also hopes the video will pressure both Israeli and American leaders to do everything in their power to free the hostages and bring an end to the war, with Rachel saying that enough people have been hurt by the relentless battles in Israel and Gaza.
“When I see what is happening in Gaza, there are tears running down my face, and it shows that I am still a person,” she said of the conflict that has claimed tens of thousands of lives.
“I still have my humanity,” Rachel added.