Israel PM Netanyahu Vows Revenge Against Hamas After Hostages Found

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to “settle the score” with Hamas following the discovery of six hostages’ bodies in Gaza. The hostages, recovered from a tunnel in Rafah, were found amidst ongoing tensions between Israel and Hamas. Netanyahu stated that those who harm hostages have no interest in peace and promised to pursue and bring Hamas leaders to justice.

Netanyahu’s remarks came after a shooting attack near Hebron in the West Bank killed three police officers. He described the ongoing conflict as a fight against a “cruel enemy” aiming to annihilate Israel. This rhetoric reflects Israel’s stance on confronting Hamas amid escalating violence.

Hamas has not officially claimed responsibility for the hostage deaths but referred to the incident as a “heroic operation” by the resistance. The group’s claim has been challenged by Israel, which accuses Hamas of murder. According to Israeli military sources, the hostages were killed by Hamas terrorists, not Israeli forces.

A Hamas official revealed that some of the hostages, including US-Israeli citizen Hersh Goldberg-Polin, were slated for release in a potential truce deal. However, this deal has not been finalized despite extensive negotiations. The official claimed that the hostages were killed by Israeli bombardments, which the Israeli military denies.

Military spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani dismissed Hamas’s claims as psychological warfare, asserting that the hostages were murdered by Hamas. The bodies were found approximately one kilometer from where another hostage, Kaid Farhan Alkadi, was rescued alive.

The discovery of the hostages’ bodies and subsequent statements by Netanyahu underscore the heightened tensions and the complex dynamics of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. The situation remains fluid as efforts to negotiate a truce continue.