Israel confirmed on Sunday the deaths of six hostages, including Israeli-American hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23, in Hamas captivity in Gaza.

The bodies of Goldberg-Polin and five others — Eden Yerushalmi, 24; Ori Danino, 25; Alex Lubnov, 32; Carmel Gat, 40; and Almog Sarusi, 25 — were discovered in tunnels under the city of Rafah by IDF forces operating in the area. The IDF said all six had been recently killed, possibly within days of their bodies being found.

Rachel and Jon Goldberg-Polin, Hersh’s parents, spoke movingly at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago last month urging for a deal to get the hostages freed. 

The family released a statement announcing Goldberg-Polin’s death early Sunday morning: “With broken hearts, the Goldberg-Polin family is devastated to announce the death of their beloved son and brother, Hersh. The family thanks you all for your love and support and asks for privacy at this time.”

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris issued separate statements shortly after the announcement. “I am devastated and outraged,” Biden said. “Hersh was among the innocents brutally attacked while attending a music festival for peace in Israel on October 7. He lost his arm helping friends and strangers during Hamas’ savage massacre. He had just turned 23. He planned to travel the world.”

“I have gotten to know his parents, Jon and Rachel. They have been courageous, wise, and steadfast, even as they have endured the unimaginable. They have been relentless and irrepressible champions of their son and of all the hostages held in unconscionable conditions. I admire them and grieve with them more deeply than words can express.  I know all Americans tonight will have them in their prayers, just as Jill and I will,” Biden went on.

Biden added: “I have worked tirelessly to bring their beloved Hersh safely to them and am heartbroken by the news of his death. It is as tragic as it is reprehensible. Make no mistake, Hamas leaders will pay for these crimes. And we will keep working around the clock for a deal to secure the release of the remaining hostages.”

In a statement, Harris reflected on a meeting with the Goldberg-Polins in the spring. “When I met with Jon and Rachel earlier this year, I told them: You are not alone. That remains true as they mourn this terrible loss,” Harris said. “Americans and people around the world will pray for Jon, Rachel, and their family and send them love and strength. As is said in the Jewish tradition, may Hersh’s memory be a blessing.”

“Hamas is an evil terrorist organization,” Harris added. “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. The threat Hamas poses to the people of Israel—and American citizens in Israel—must be eliminated and Hamas cannot control Gaza. The Palestinian people too have suffered under Hamas’ rule for nearly two decades.”

Secretary of State Tony Blinken called Goldberg-Polin an “American hero” and said that “[t]he killing of these hostages only further confirms Hamas’s depravity. It should release all the hostages immediately. We will continue to work with our partners in the region to secure an agreement without delay that frees the remaining hostages.”

The killings of Goldberg-Polin and the five other hostages, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said, “shows how brutal Hamas is and how urgent it remains to free all the hostages now.”

“I have met with the families, including Hersh’s brave parents Rachel and Jon. They are inspiring and they are selfless. My heart aches for them, and for each and every family impacted by the horrors of Hamas. There is no time to waste in bringing the hostages home now,” Schumer added.