The family of an American man has revealed his final heartbreaking text messages as Hamas militants launched an attack on a music festival in the Israeli desert.
Hersh Golberg-Polin, 23, has not been seen or heard from since early Saturday morning when he was partying with hundreds of other ravers at the Supernova festival in northern Negev.
During the celebrations, Hamas militants carried out a surprise attack, killing and kidnapping dozens of people from the site.
The Israeli rescue service Zaka said on Sunday that more than 260 bodies had since been found at the music festival site, with the death toll likely to climb higher.
Mr Golberg-Polin’s father Jonathon Polin toldThe Jerusalem Post that his son was among those partying at the rave.
The 23-year-old’s birthday was just days earlier and he was also celebrating his release from Army service at the end of April, he said.
At around 8am local time on Saturday morning, the 23-year-old sent a couple of ominous messages to his parents.
“I love you,” one of the messages read.
“I’m sorry,” read another.
No one has seen or heard from him since, with the family now desperately trying to find out what happened to him.
“We just want him home and safe,” Jonathon Polin told the outlet.
“We love you. Come home to us,” he said in a direct appeal to his son.
Jonathon Polin said that there were two locations – Yishuv Saad and Ofakim – that they thought he could have fled to, but he was nowhere to be found there.
Hersh Golberg-Polin, 23, has not been seen or heard from since Saturday— (The Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies/Facebook)
“He wasn’t at any of those places,” he said.
The desperate father is now holding onto hopes that he could still be in hiding in the area around the festival.
“[Officials] think there’s still a bunch of people hiding in the area. Every time we hear information, we turn over everything we can to find out anything. There’s very little we can actually do,” he said.
Mr Golberg-Polin was born in Berkley, California, and moved with his family to Jerusalem when he was a small child.
He went on to join the Army, training as a medic and tank driver in the 7th Armored Brigade.
On completion of his Army service, Jonathon Polin said his son got a job as a waiter and was saving up for his lifelong dream of travelling to India.
Now, he is one of many missing after the attack.
Terrifying footage circulating on social media showed dozens of festivalgoers running from Hamas attackers, while some were seen being bundled onto vehicles and taken hostage.
As of Monday morning, Israel said that at least 700 people have been killed – marking the deadliest attack on the nation in decades.
Palestinian officials have said that more than 400 have been killed in retaliatory Israeli attacks on Gaza.
Thousands more people are believed to be injured while the number of individuals taken hostage by Hamas is currently unclear.
At least four Americans are among those confirmed to have been killed, with many more believed to be missing.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement that he had been informed about the US fatalies in an unclassified briefing by Acting Deputy Secretary of State Toria Nuland and Acting Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Sasha Baker on Sunday.
Israel music festival attendees flee as Hamas fighters descend— (Telegram)
In the briefing, attended by Senate leaders and some members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Mr Schumer said they were warned the death toll will climb higher as the violence enters a third day on Monday.
“Unfortunately, we know there are Americans who were killed. The Administration told us that they know of four thus far, but, sadly, we know the toll will rise,” he said.
Mr Schumer condemned the attacks on Israwl saying “that he expressed my outrage at what happened”.
“The viciousness and brutality of this unprecedented attack from Hamas targeting innocent civilians — children, families, seniors — is overwhelming and heart wrenching,” he said.
“I asked the representatives of our Defense Department if they are giving Israel everything they need, and I was heartened that they said yes and that they are surging support. I asked them if they have denied any requests that Israel has made, and they said no. I urged them to ensure Israel has everything it needs to protect itself, and reiterated that the Senate stands ready to deliver on additional needs.”
President Joe Biden has vowed that the US stands with Israel and has spoken with Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel to offer support.
