American Parents Of Hersh Goldberg-Polin Fear For Son In Israel After Receiving Cryptic Text After Hamas Attack: ‘I Love You. I’m Sorry’

Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23, sent his mother and father a text, “I love you. I’m sorry,” on Saturday morning, moments after Hamas launched its unprecedented attack on Israel.

Goldberg-Polin had been at an all-night party to celebrate the end of his army service.

Until April, Goldberg-Polin had been a tank driver in the seventh armored bridge and trained to be a medic. The party was held near Kibbutz, not far from the Gaza Strip.

At 8:00 a.m., Palestinian militants surprised Israeli citizens with a multi-front attack and fired thousands of rockets while dozens of fighters bombarded the border in several locations. They took dozens of hostages and killed hundreds of people on the Jewish high holiday. 

In clips from the day, partygoers are seen running for their lives at the realization they are under attack by terrorists. Over 150 people were captured and taken to Gaza as hostages.

Posts on social media show horrific footage of terrified hostages as they are hauled off to Gaza by Hamas fighters. The fighters chanted “Allah Akbar” (God is Great) while they dragged people away.

Goldberg-Polin’s parents last saw their son at 11:00 p.m. the night before the attacks. They have been unable to contact him and desperate for any news.

Goldberg-Polin’s father, Jonathan Polin, told The Jerusalem Post, “We just want him home and safe. We love you. Come home to us.”

In response to the attacks, Israel has now pounded the Gaza Strip with retaliatory strikes and attacked Lebanon with artillery in the north.

Over 900 Israelis are thought to be dead, and thousands more have been injured in the unpredicted attack by the Hamas militant.

It was implied by a Hamas leader that the hostages would not be executed but would rather used to bargain for the release of their own prisoners in Israeli jails. 

On Saturday night, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned, “I tell Hamas, you are responsible for the wellbeing of captives, Israel will settle the score with anyone who harms them.”

He warned Palestinian civilians to evacuate immediately as Israeli airstrikes level targets in Gaza.