Netanyahu, Gallant, Ben Gvir send condolences to families of rescued dead hostages, hail IDF op

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sends his condolences to the families of the six hostages whose bodies have been recovered from the Gaza Strip.

He also thanks IDF soldiers and commanders from the military and the Shin Bet for the “determined” operation that led to the bodies’ recovery from a tunnel in Khan Younis.

“The State of Israel will continue to make every effort to return all our hostages — both the living and the fallen,” he says, amid relentless accusations that he is not doing enough to secure a hostage deal.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant hails the “daring and dangerous” operation and says he too shares the families’ grief. He says the action is a testament to the “freedom of operation” Israel has achieved in the Strip, and vows to continue until Hamas is toppled and all hostages are returned.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir also sends his condolences and thanks the IDF troops for the “courageous” operation. He adds that the remaining hostages “must only be returned via intense military pressure, halting the entry of fuel and humanitarian [aid] to terrorism and its supporters, and not via irresponsible deals that will bring upon us, God forbid, more hostages and fatalities in the future.”