Tel Aviv: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a harrowing revelation on Monday: six hostages, whose bodies were recovered from Gaza, were executed by Hamas militants with shots to the back of the head. This grim news has unleashed a wave of grief and fury across Israel, sparking widespread protests against the government’s handling of the hostage crisis.
The Israeli health ministry confirmed that the six hostages were killed at close range shortly before their bodies were found. Netanyahu, addressing the nation, rejected calls for concessions in the ongoing Gaza ceasefire negotiations, stating, “These murderers executed six of our hostages. We must not respond with weakness.”
The tension escalated further as Hamas’s armed wing issued a chilling warning. In a statement on Monday, spokesperson Abu Obeida of the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades declared that any further Israeli military pressure would result in more hostages returning to Israel “inside coffins.” The statement also revealed that new, more lethal instructions had been given to Hamas militants guarding the captives, threatening to escalate the situation if Israeli forces approached their locations.
As Tel Aviv witnessed its second consecutive day of large-scale protests, demonstrators vented their anger at the government for failing to secure the hostages’ release through diplomatic means. Netanyahu, acknowledging the grief, sought forgiveness but emphasized the need for national unity in the face of terror.
Netanyahu called on the global community to increase pressure on Hamas to end the conflict, which erupted after the group’s unprecedented October 7 attack on southern Israel. He stressed that Israel’s position remains firm: “We say yes, they say no. Now we need maximum pressure on Hamas. They must be the ones to make concessions.”
A major sticking point in the negotiations is Israel’s control over the Philadelphi Corridor along the Egypt-Gaza border. Netanyahu made it clear that retaining control of this critical area is essential to prevent the smuggling of hostages out of Gaza. “The achievement of the war’s objectives goes through the Philadelphi Corridor,” he stated, vowing not to yield to external pressure.
Of the 251 hostages taken during the October 7 attack, 97 remain in Gaza, with 33 confirmed dead by the Israeli military. The situation remains tense, as the nation waits with bated breath for a resolution to the hostage crisis.
