In a statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed his condolences to the families of the six hostages whose bodies were found in Gaza over the weekend.
and one Israeli-American were confirmed dead on Saturday, with the IDF saying they appeared to have been murdered shortly before Israeli forces arrived.
“Joining the entire nation, my wife and I grieve with the families. I want to express deep gratitude to our forces, to the courageous IDF soldiers and ISA fighters, who put their lives on the line to bring our sons and daughters home,” Netanyahu stated.
“To the Hamas terrorists who killed our hostages and to their leaders, I say: You will face the consequences. We will not rest, nor will we remain silent. We will pursue you, we will find you, and we will hold you accountable,” he continued.
to reference the ongoing cease-fire negotiations, saying Hamas has rejected proposals at every turn.
“Those who murder hostages don’t want a deal,” Netanyahu asserted.
“On our part, we will not give up. The Government of Israel is committed, and I am personally committed, to continue striving for an agreement that will bring back all our hostages and guarantee our security and our existence,” he added.
The Israeli-American hostage, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23, was kidnapped during Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack at a music festival in . His body was recovered on Saturday in the tunnels under Rafah, alongside Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Alexander Lobanov, Almog Sarusi, and Master Sergeant Ori Danino.
“Based on our initial assessment, they were brutally murdered by Hamas terrorists just before we reached them,” IDF spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said in a statement.
Goldberg-Polin, a dual U.S.-Israeli citizen, immigrated to Israel with his family in 2008 at the age of seven, according to a statement from his family. He is survived by his parents, Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg, and his two sisters.
Goldberg-Polin’s family and friends were demanding his release and met with world leaders, including officials in the Biden administration.
‘ Landon Mion contributed to this report