Joe Biden said Israeli forces have recovered 6 bodies of Hamas-held hostages in a tunnel in Rafah (file)
US President Joe Biden said he was "devastated and outraged" over the recovery of six bodies of hostages, including that of an Israeli-American from the Gaza Strip.
Terming the development as "tragic" and "reprehensible" Biden on August 31 unequivocally warned that "Hamas leaders will pay for these crimes" while vowing to keep working around the clock for a deal to secure the release of remaining hostages held by the Palestine group.
The US President said Israeli forces had on Saturday recovered six bodies of hostages held by Hamas in a tunnel under the city of Rafah.
"We have now confirmed that one of the hostages killed by these vicious Hamas terrorists was an American citizen, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Biden said in a statement released by the White House.
The Israel Defence Force (IDF) Spokesman, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, was cited by Times of Israel as saying that the six hostages recovered from southern Gaza's Rafah were "brutally murdered" by Hamas shortly before IDF troops arrived.
Talking to reporters after leaving a church in Delaware, Biden said, "It's time this war ended." "We should end this war."
Vice President Kamala Harris said in a statement that Hamas "must be eliminated" and cannot be allowed to control Gaza.
Harris extended her condolences to 23-year-old American citizen Goldberg-Polin's parents Jon and Rachel, and declared, "I have no higher priority than the safety of American citizens, wherever they are in the world. President Biden and I will never waver in our commitment to free the Americans and all those held hostage in Gaza."
"Hamas is an evil terrorist organisation. With these murders, Hamas has even more American blood on its hands. I strongly condemn Hamas' continued brutality, and so must the entire world. From its massacre of 1,200 people to sexual violence, taking of hostages, and these murders, Hamas' depravity is evident and horrifying," she said in a White House statement.
Goldberg Polin was held hostage while he was trying to escape terrorists who infiltrated the Nova music festival and lost his hand in a grenade blast in the October 7 attacks.
Israel President Isaac Herzog said in a statement that the "heart of an entire nation is crushed into pieces". He said the killing of the hostages "proves Hamas's readiness to carry out crimes against humanity." He added the country's "sacred goal" was to bring them home.
Following Hamas attacks on October 7, Israel launched a war against the Palestinian group, in which more than 1,200 Israelis were killed and 250 taken hostage, according to Israeli authorities as per reports.
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