Black Saturday: The Kidnapping of Hirsch Goldberg-Polin by Hamas and the Analysis of the Hostage Video

On October 7th, 2023, Hirsch Goldberg-Polin, a dual citizen of Israel and the United States, was kidnapped by Hamas militants. This event became known as Black Saturday. The Kan-11 television channel reported that a video of the hostage was released by the terrorist group as part of “psychological warfare.”

The video is currently being studied by a group of experts at the Federal Bureau of Investigation who specialize in hostage situations. They are analyzing the footage to extract any information that may be helpful in the future. A source from the White House confirmed that they received the video two days prior to the report.

Hirsch’s left arm is missing below the elbow due to injuries he sustained during his kidnapping. In the video, he mentions that “members of the Israeli government are now sitting at the holiday table,” implying it was recorded on Passover Eve. The family allowed Israeli television channels to show parts of the video, with Hirsch’s mother Rachel Goldberg-Polin expressing hope that her son would return home soon.