The bodies of the six hostages were found in a tunnel near Rafah, with Netanyahu accusing Hamas of committing atrocities akin to those carried out in their October 7 attack on southern Israel, which ignited the current conflict. Israeli media reported that three of the recovered hostages, including US-Israeli citizen Hersh Goldberg-Polin, had been approved for release by Hamas in a potential truce deal that remains unfinalized despite ongoing mediation efforts.

A senior Hamas official, speaking anonymously, claimed that the hostages were on a list approved for release but were killed by Israeli fire. The Israeli military, however, vehemently denied this, stating that the hostages were murdered by Hamas. Military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani dismissed Hamas’s claims as "psychological warfare," asserting that the deaths were the result of brutality by Hamas terrorists, with no active firefight in the tunnel where the bodies were found.

The situation underscores the deepening conflict and the challenges of negotiating a truce amidst ongoing violence. Netanyahu's resolve to "settle the score" reflects the intense emotions and the complexities surrounding the hostage situation, as Israel continues its military operations in Gaza.

The bodies of the six hostages were found in a tunnel near Rafah, with Netanyahu accusing Hamas of committing atrocities akin to those carried out in their October 7 attack on southern Israel, which ignited the current conflict. Israeli media reported that three of the recovered hostages, including US-Israeli citizen Hersh Goldberg-Polin, had been approved for release by Hamas in a potential truce deal that remains unfinalized despite ongoing mediation efforts.

A senior Hamas official, speaking anonymously, claimed that the hostages were on a list approved for release but were killed by Israeli fire. The Israeli military, however, vehemently denied this, stating that the hostages were murdered by Hamas. Military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani dismissed Hamas’s claims as "psychological warfare," asserting that the deaths were the result of brutality by Hamas terrorists, with no active firefight in the tunnel where the bodies were found.

The situation underscores the deepening conflict and the challenges of negotiating a truce amidst ongoing violence. Netanyahu's resolve to "settle the score" reflects the intense emotions and the complexities surrounding the hostage situation, as Israel continues its military operations in Gaza.