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(KRON) — A Berkeley native is among the unknown number of Americans who remain missing following one of the bloodiest weekends in Israeli and Palestinian history.
Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23, was at an Israeli music festival close to the Gaza border when Hamas terrorists attacked, killed 260 young adults, and kidnapped an unknown number of party-goers, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported.
Goldberg-Polin sent his father two WhatsApps messages Saturday morning. The first message said, “I love you.” In the second message he wrote, “I’m sorry,” according to JTA.
The father told JTA that he is holding out hope that his son is still alive. Goldberg-Polin, who moved with his parents to Israel when he was 7 years old, has not been seen or heard from since he sent the two messages.
Thousands of young men and women had gathered at a vast field Saturday in southern Israel to dance at the outdoor electronic music festival. Rockets and gunshots erupted, taking the crowd by surprise. The New York Times published harrowing video showing festival-goers running for their lives.
“We were hiding and running, hiding and running, in an open field — the worst place you could possibly be in that situation,” survivor Arik Nani told the Associated Press. Nani had gone to the festival to celebrate his 26th birthday.
Goldberg-Polin had just completed his mandatory army service earlier this year, JTA reported.
An unknown number of people from the festival were taken hostage. Hamas warned on Monday that it will kill an Israeli hostage every time Israel’s military bombs civilian targets in the Gaza Strip without warning.
At least 11 U.S. citizens have been confirmed dead in the Hamas attacks, U.S. President Joe Biden said. Biden also said the U.S. government believes it is “likely” that Americans are among those currently being held hostage by Hamas militants, while other U.S. citizens are still unaccounted for after the deadly assault.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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