Benjamin Netanyahu on slain hostages: We are united in unbearable pain

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a statement today (Thursday) calling for national unity in the face of the grief felt at the return of the Bibas family and Oded Lifshitz from Hamas captivity to be buried in Israel.

In his statement, Netanyahu said that:

My brothers and sisters, dear citizens of Israel. On this day we are all united. We are all united in unbearable grief. Every home in Israel bows its head today. We bow our heads for the heavy loss of our four hostages. We all feel pain mixed with rage.

We are all angry at the Hamas monsters. The four coffins of our loved ones oblige us more than ever to ensure, to swear, that what happened on October seventh will never happen again.

The voice of our loved ones' blood cries out to us from the ground. It compels us to hold the despicable murderers accountable - and we will hold them accountable.

"God of vengeance, Lord, God of vengeance, appear."

Our hearts are broken, but our spirit is not shattered. And with this spirit: we will bring back all our hostages, destroy the killers, eliminate Hamas, and together - with God's help - we will secure our future.

The Director of the Hostages, Returnees, and Missing Persons Administration in the Prime Minister's Office said that it "shares in the grief of the Lifshitz family, bows her head, and sends her condolences to the family. The Administration will continue to support the family during these difficult times. We pray for the swift return home of all the hostages."

Defense Minister Israel Katz took a more belligerent approach in responding to the outrage and pain felt in Israel at both the release of the hostages and the ceremony celebrating their deaths, in a post published on X:

"The heart of the entire nation mourns today. Hamas kidnapped, Hamas murdered, Hamas will be destroyed. We will avenge our enemies and secure our future."