Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin ordered the “flags to be flown at half-staff” to honor Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23, an American-Israeli hostage who was among the six bodies found dead in a tunnel underneath Gaza.
In a press release issued on Sunday, Youngkin announced that he would “order the flags to be flown at half-staff in memory and honor” of Goldberg-Polin. The Goldberg-Polin family previously lived in Richmond, Virginia, between 2004 and 2008 before moving to Israel, according to WRIC News.
Youngkin added that “Virginians, Americans,” and people across the world were joining the Goldberg-Polin family in prayer as they mourn the loss of their son Hersh.
“After 330 agonizing days since the brutal terrorist attack on Israel on October 7th that left more than 1,200 dead and hundreds more held hostage, Johnathan Polin and Rachel Goldberg woke up to unimaginable news that no parent should ever receive,” Youngkin’s statement said. “Suzanne and I are angered and heartbroken by the death of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, a senseless murder at the hands of terrorists. Today, Virginians, Americans, and the world join the Goldberg-Polin family and the Keneseth Beth Israel Synagogue in prayer.”
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin announces that flags in the state will be flown at half-staff in memory and honor of Hersh Goldberg-Polin. https://t.co/7kbiqvJB8p
— Josh Kraushaar (@JoshKraushaar) September 1, 2024
Youngkin’s statement comes after it was revealed that Goldberg-Polin, Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Alexander Lobanov, Almog Sarusi, and Ori Danino had been identified as the six bodies found in a Hamas tunnel under Gaza.
Rabbi Dovid Asher from the Keneseth Beth Israel Synagogue in Richmond described Hersh as a “beautiful boy who was taken way too soon,” according to WRIC News.
“A beautiful boy who was taken way too soon because of his faith, tradition and his background,” Asher said in a statement.
Ynet News reported that the autopsies conducted on the bodies showed that they had sustained “gunshot wounds to their head and other areas”:
All six hostages whose bodies were discovered and recovered from Gaza on Sunday were found with gunshot wounds to their head and other areas, their autopsies showed.
According to the post-mortem, they were executed no more than 48 hours before being found and signs of neglect in captivity were found on their bodies.
Except for one of the hostages, who showed signs of being bound, no evidence of torture was found. However, the condition of their bodies indicated systematic neglect, including a lack of hygiene over a long period. Additionally, indications were present of previous injuries sustained during their abduction, which had been treated over time.
Youngkin’s statement comes after President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris issued statements in response to the death of Goldberg-Polin and the other hostages. Biden stated that “Hamas leaders will pay for these crimes.”
Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), who has been a staunch supporter of Israel in the aftermath of Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel which left 1,200 people murdered and more than 250 people taken hostage, also issued a statement. In his statement, Fetterman said his “support for Israel is unbreakable” and that Hamas was responsible for “this entire humanitarian catastrophe.”
When asked for his “reaction” to the news that the bodies of six hostages had been found in Gaza, Democrat vice presidential nominee and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) walked away without answering.