Hersh Goldberg-Polin loved soccer and music. He was curious, respectful and passionate about geography and travel, according to his mother. He was born in the Bay Area and moved to Israel when he was 8.

Some 15 years later, he became one of the most internationally recognized hostages among the 240 who were taken by Hamas on Oct. 7. For months, his parents made pleas to bring their son and the other hostages home.

But he was among the six hostages who were found dead in Gaza over the weekend. The Israeli military recovered their bodies from a tunnel underneath Rafah.

His family confirmed the news in a statement. “With broken hearts, the Goldberg-Polin family is devastated to announce the death of their beloved son and brother, Hersh,” they said. Family members declined to be interviewed for this article, asking for privacy.

On Sunday, tributes to Mr. Goldberg-Polin, who was 23 and a dual citizen of the United States and Israel, poured in from many pockets of America. Several people expressed immense grief and recalled moments they shared. To many across the country, he had become a symbol of hope.