Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday evening responded to the release of six living hostages from Hamas captivity, and to the identification of hostage Shiri Bibas' remains.

"Together with my wife Sara, and with all the citizens of Israel, I celebrate the return home of Eliya Cohen, Omer Shem Tov, Omer Wenkert, Tal Shoham, Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed," Netanyahu said. "The heart bursts with excitement as we embrace the families. Their return is a moment of joy and relief to their families and the entire nation of Israel."

"Following our insistence and unequivocal demand to immediately return Shiri, of blessed memory, we were able to bring her back tonight for burial according to Jewish tradition.

"The heart of our nation is broken by the abduction and cruel murder of Shiri and her children Ariel and Kfir, of blessed memory. We share the deep sorrow of the Bibas family and embrace them dearly. We shall neither forgive nor forget."

He added: "We carry the painful memory of, and we salute, our fallen and wounded heroes – thanks to them the daughters and sons have returned home."

"Thus far, we have returned home 192 hostages, 147 of them alive and 45 deceased. Sixty-three hostages are still being held by Hamas. The Government of Israel is committed to continue acting decisively in order to bring all of our hostages back home - the living to their families, and the deceased to proper burial in their country."

Earlier on Saturday, Israeli President Isaac Herzog posted on X: "On a harrowing morning, as we learned with deep sorrow of the identification of the body of Ariel and Kfir’s dear mother, Shiri Bibas, we take comfort in seeing the return of Omer Wenkert, Eliya Cohen, Tal Shoham, and Omer Shem Tov after they were brutally taken hostage 505 days ago, along with Avera Mengistu and soon Hisham al-Sayed — a Muslim citizen of Israel — after a decade of captivity in Gaza. They return from the depths of hell to begin the process of healing and recovery alongside their loving families, who fought with all their strength for them."

"The completion of a hostage deal is a humanitarian, moral, and Jewish imperative. As we have heard from the testimonies of hostages who have returned in recent weeks, they are in serious humanitarian need, and their immediate return is vital. We must do everything possible to bring back all the hostages from captivity in Gaza—until the very last one!"