Hamas murdered six more hostages over the weekend, leaving their bodies in the tunnels beneath Gaza for Israeli soldiers to find. After months of war, propaganda and uncertainty, the loss hits like a gut punch — a painful reminder of the incalculable human cost the terror group has extacted from Israel and Gaza.

Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) discovered the bodies of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23-years-old; Eden Yerushalmi, 24; Ori Danino, 25; Alex Lobanov, 32; Carmel Gat, 40; and Almog Sarusi, 27 shortly after Hamas executed them.

All six were among the 250 men, women and children kidnapped by Hamas on October 7, 2023. Goldberg-Polin — a dual American-Israeli citizen, Yerushalmi and Gat would have reportedly been released in the event of a ceasefire.

Victims of war too frequently lose their God-given identities to time and circumstance. But the families of these six men and women — and the rest of those killed or held hostage — refuse to let the world forget what made their loved ones special.

Here’s what we know:

Eden Yerushalmi worked the bar at the Nova music festival on October 7. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum (HMFF), an organization formed by the families of friends of those Hamas has kidnapped, says she hid from Hamas for four hours before being captured. HMFF describes Eden as a woman with many friends and hobbies who “loved life.” She leaves behind her parents and two sisters.

The eldest of five siblings, Ori Danino was a military officer ready to begin studying electrical engineering. He managed to escape the Nova festival once but was reportedly captured after he turned back to help other victims. Ori was “known for his ambition, love for people, and was beloved by all,” HMFF wrote in an Instagram post.

Alex Lobanov was head bartender at Nova, where he reportedly helped other attendees flee toward the Be’eri forest, where he was captured. He leaves behind his wife, a two-year-old and a five-month-old, whom he never got to meet.

Hamas kidnapped yoga instructor and occupational therapist Carmel Gat from Kibbutz Be’eri, where she had been visiting her mother. The Free Press cites released hostages who say Carmel did yoga with other prisoners. Described as “full of compassion and love,” Carmel is survived by her father and two brothers. Hamas murdered her mother when they kidnapped Carmel.

Almog Sarusi attended Nova with his long-time girlfriend, Shahar. Hamas allegedly captured Sarusi while he attempted to save Shahar, who eventually died. HMFF says Sarusi was “a vibrant, positive person who loved traveling around Israel in his white jeep with his guitar.” He is survived by his family, including his three siblings.

Hersh Goldberg-Polin was a California native who moved to Israel when he turned seven. On the morning of October 7, 2023, he sent his parents, Jon and Rachel, two text messages from Nova: “I love you” and “I’m sorry.”

Matti Freidman, a Jerusalem-based reporter for the Free Press and a friend of Hersh and his family, described seeing Hersh in videos posted by Hamas:

He appeared in flashes — a figure moving through horror videos that began to surface in the days and weeks that followed. We saw him herded at gunpoint with other captives, one arm shredded, thrown into a pickup truck, a rough hand grabbing him and shaking him by the hair.

Friedman describes seeing Hersh again in a hostage video in the spring, his arm amputated after being irreparably damaged by a Hamas grenade.

Now, Hersh’s friends and family — and the entirety of Israel — are coming to terms with his death.

Having written about the Israel-Hamas war since its beginning, I admit to suffering from emotional fatigue. Our hearts and minds can only absorb so much sorrow before we become overwhelmed or callous. I didn’t realize I had numbed myself to the tragedy of the Israel-Hamas war until today, when I allowed these men and women to take full shape in my mind.

I don’t want anything to impede my ability to grieve for people like Hersh, Eden, Almog, Alex, Carmel and Ori. I want a soft heart, even when its painful, because God’s beloved creations deserve to be remembered and mourned properly.

But I also know fallen humans can never fully comprehend the physical and spiritual consequences of war. That’s why I’m grateful that our Creator sees and accounts for it all.

I am reminded of Genesis 16, when God reaches out to Hagar, a wandering slave stuck in an impossible situation. The Lord calls her by name and comforts her, to which Hagar replies: “You are a God of seeing … Truly here I have seen Him who looks after me” (Genesis 16:13).

Please pray today that God will see and comfort the families of killed and kidnapped victims of Hamas as tangibly as he comforted Hagar. Pray God’s divine justice be done in Israel and Gaza, and that He protect and avenge the innocent.

Perhaps also join me in giving thanks for the chance to glimpse murder and suffering, not as routine, but as the gravest of transgressions. It is a gift to exercise our God-given humanity — our soft hearts — just as it is a gift to know He always sees and remembers His creations, even when we don’t.

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