Family of Chicago native last seen during Hamas attack on Israel music festival speaks out

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The parents of a Chicago native believed to be held hostage by Hamas spoke on "Good Morning America" Tuesday morning about their anguish.

Hersh Goldberg-Polin was at the music festival near Gaza, celebrating his 23rd birthday, when Hamas attacked.

His parents, who are originally from Chicago, thanked the Biden administration for working hard to bring their son home.

"Many times a day you stop and say, 'did he die five days ago? Did he die this morning?' We have no -- we live in a parallel universe to other people now," his mother Rachel Goldberg said.

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Goldberg described her son like a lot of other young people.

He wants to see the world and has plans to go to university.

Witnesses said Goldberg-Polin lost part of an arm when the attackers tossed grenades into a temporary shelter where people had taken refuge, but he tied a tourniquet around it and walked out of the shelter before being bundled into the truck.

Family and friends have organized the "Bring Hersh Home" campaign on social media.

Hersh's aunt still lives in Chicago.

The Associated Press and "Good Morning America" contributed to this report.