Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) responded to the news that the bodies of six hostages were discovered in a tunnel underneath Gaza, saying his “support for Israel is unbreakable.”
In a post on X, Fetterman cast blame on Hamas for being responsible for “this entire humanitarian catastrophe.”
Fetterman’s post came after it was revealed that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) had identified the dead hostages as Eden Yrushalmi, Carmel Gat, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Alexander Lobanov, Almog Sarusi, and Master Sergeant Orio Danino. The hostages were reported to have been shot in the head within the last 48 hours, according to autopsy reports.
“Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Alexander Lobanov, Almog Sarusi, and Ori Danino,” Fetterman wrote. “This ongoing grief and outrage was brutally sown on 10/7. Hamas owns this entire humanitarian catastrophe and my support for Israel is unbreakable.”
Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Alexander Lobanov, Almog Sarusi, and Ori Danino.
This ongoing grief and outrage was brutally sown on 10/7.
Hamas owns this entire humanitarian catastrophe and my support for Israel is unbreakable. pic.twitter.com/OKPvZVNd43
— Senator John Fetterman (@SenFettermanPA) September 1, 2024
Ynet News reported that while the bodies “were found with gunshot wounds to their head and other areas,” there was “no evidence of torture” on the hostages except for one of them “who showed signs of being bound”:
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 systemic 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.
Fetterman has been a staunch supporter of Israel in the aftermath of Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which left 1,200 people murdered and more than 250 people taken hostage by Hamas.
The Pennsylvania senator has defended Israel on several occasions and has cast blame on Hamas for being “responsible for all” of the deaths of Palestinian civilians, stating that Israel has tried to “minimize” the number of civilian deaths.