PM Netanyahu
PM NetanyahuReuters/Dudu Bachar/POOL

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded Sunday morning to the murder of six Israeli hostages by their Hamas captors.

"This is a difficult day for us. Together with all citizens of Israel, I was outraged to the depths of my soul by the horrific, cold-blooded murder of six of our hostages: Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Alexander Lobanov, Almog Sarusi, and Master-Sergeant Ori Danino. May G-d avenge them," Netanyahu said.

"Together with the entire nation, my wife and I share in the families' deep mourning," he said. "I would like to express deep appreciation for our forces, for the brave IDF soldiers and ISA fighters, who risked their lives in order to return our sons and daughters."

"I say to the Hamas terrorists who murdered our hostages and I say to their leaders: You will pay the price. We will not rest, nor will be silent. We will pursue you, we will find you and we will settle accounts with you," he warned.

Addressing the citizens of Israel, Netanyahu said, "We are fighting on all fronts against a brutal enemy who wants to murder us all. Only this morning, it murdered three police officers in Hebron. My wife and I send heartfelt condolences to their families."

"We saw the inconceivable brutality of the Hamas murderers on October 7 and we have seen it again in the tunnels under Rafah.

"The fact that Hamas is continuing to perpetrate atrocities like those it carried out on October 7 requires us to do everything so that it will be unable to perpetrate these atrocities again," he said.

"Citizens of Israel, Our efforts to free our hostages are continuing constantly. Since December, Hamas has refused to hold genuine negotiations.

He noted. "Three months ago, on May 27, Israel agreed to a hostage release deal with full backing from the US. Hamas refused. Even after the US updated the deal framework on August 16 – we agreed, and Hamas again refused."

"In recent days, as Israel has been holding intensive negotiations with the mediator in a supreme effort to reach a deal, Hamas is continuing to steadfastly refuse all proposals. Even worse, at the exact same time, it murdered six of our hostages."

"Whoever murders hostages – does not want a deal," Netanyahu declared. "For our part, we will not relent. The Government of Israel is committed, and I am personally committed, to continue striving toward a deal that will return all of our hostages and ensure our security and our existence."

The bodies of hostages Ori Danino, Carmel Gat, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Alexander Lonanov, Almog Sarusi, and Eden Yerushalmi were recovered from a tunnel in Rafah overnight.

IDF Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said this morning, "A few hours ago, we informed the families that the bodies of their loved ones had been located by IDF troops in an underground tunnel in Rafah. According to our initial assessment, they were brutally murdered by Hamas terrorists shortly before we reached them."

An Israeli source said this morning that three of the hostages who were murdered in captivity and whose bodies were returned to Israel by the IDF were on the list of hostages that Hamas agreed to return in the deal proposed in early July.