Mother of Israeli Hostage Killed in Gaza Urges UN to Establish Protocols for Kidnapping Crises

Rachel Goldberg-Polin, mother of Hirsch Goldberg-Polin who was kidnapped and killed in Gaza on October 7, delivered a poignant speech at the UN International Conference of Counter-Terrorism Agency Heads in New York. Speaking during the UN's fourth annual Counter-Terrorism Week held from June 26 to July 2, 2026, she shared her personal tragedy and criticized the global community's inadequate response to hostage crises.

Goldberg-Polin recounted the harrowing events of October 7, when her son, a dual Israeli-American citizen, was severely wounded and abducted during an attack at the Nova Festival. She described how terrorists threw grenades into a roadside shelter where Hirsch and others had taken cover, resulting in his severe injury and eventual kidnapping to Gaza.

She detailed the painful journey she and her husband John undertook to secure their son's release, describing it as a slow, torturous odyssey filled with pleas to leaders and influential figures worldwide. Despite these efforts, she lamented the lack of an established international mechanism to handle such hostage situations, calling the 251 hostages "pawns" in a macabre game and families "tools" without support.

Goldberg-Polin criticized the international community for failing to use available pressure tactics effectively and urged the creation of binding protocols and immediate response codes to prevent future failures. She concluded her speech with a biblical reference to Cain and Abel, emphasizing the urgent need for action beyond words, warning that without concrete measures, the world remains complicit in future tragedies.

Summary: Rachel Goldberg-Polin, mother of an Israeli-American hostage killed in Gaza, spoke at the UN urging the establishment of immediate protocols for hostage crises, criticizing the international community's failure to act effectively.

Points: - Rachel Goldberg-Polin spoke at the UN during Counter-Terrorism Week about her son's kidnapping and murder. - She described the October 7 attack where her son was wounded and abducted at the Nova Festival. - She criticized the lack of international protocols for hostage crises, calling families "pawns" in a deadly game. - She urged the creation of binding mechanisms and immediate response codes for future kidnappings. - Goldberg-Polin condemned the international community's failure to use pressure tactics effectively. - She concluded with a call for urgent action, warning that inaction makes the world complicit.

Topic: security

Entities: {"people":["Rachel Goldberg-Polin","Hirsch Goldberg-Polin","John Goldberg-Polin"],"organizations":["United Nations"],"places":["Gaza","New York","Israel"]}