Netanyahu, after receiving the bodies of the hostages: "We will hold them accountable"

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that everyone in Israel is united in unbearable grief following Hamas' handover of the bodies of four hostages captured in the Oct. 7, 2023 attack, and vowed to hold their killers accountable.

"The voice of the blood of our loved ones cries out to us from the ground. It forces us to come to terms with the vile murderers and we will hold them accountable," Netanyahu said in a video message distributed by his office shortly after the identity of one of the bodies was confirmed to be that of former Israeli hostage Oded Lifshitz, kidnapped at the age of 83.

"We all share a pain mixed with rage. We are all furious against the monsters of Hamas. Every home in Israel bows its head." For Netanyahu, the return of these bodies further reinforces Israel's commitment to preventing a tragedy like that of October 7 from happening again. "We promise and swear that this will not happen again. We will recover all our hostages, destroy the murderers, eliminate Hamas and, with God's help, ensure our existence," he concluded.

The identity of the other bodies is awaited

Official confirmation of the identity of the other three remains is expected in the coming hours or days, depending on the condition of the bodies. Hamas claims they belong to the Bibas family, born in Argentina: the mother, Shiri, and her two sons, Ariel and Kfir, who were kidnapped in Nir Oz when they were just 4 years and 9 months old, respectively.

The handover marks the first return of hostage bodies under the Feb. 19 truce agreement between Israel and Hamas. As part of the deal, Israel is scheduled to release an as-yet-undetermined number of Palestinian prisoners on Saturday, after Hamas frees six hostages alive.