Tragic end: Bodies of hostages recovered in Gaza conflict

In a grim turn of events, Israel announced early Sunday the recovery of the bodies of six hostages captured during the October 7 Hamas attack that sparked the Gaza war. Among the dead is Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, whose parents had led an international campaign for his and other prisoners' release.

According to military sources, the six hostages were killed shortly before Israeli forces attempted a rescue operation. The bodies were discovered in a tunnel beneath Rafah in the south of the Gaza Strip. This revelation sparked mass protests by the hostages' families, who believe the prisoners could have been rescued as part of ceasefire negotiations.

Goldberg-Polin, who lost part of his left arm in the attack, was initially captured at a music festival attacked by Palestinian militants. His parents, U.S.-born immigrants, met with several international leaders and appealed to the United Nations to secure the hostages' release. The hostages' outcome weighs heavily on the families and advocacy groups campaigning for their safe return.

(With contributions from agencies.)