Synopsis
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed deep sorrow and anger over the brutal killings of kidnapped children by Hamas as their bodies were returned to Israel during a national mourning period.Key Takeaways
- Netanyahu expresses profound grief over the killings.
- The Bibas children symbolize the struggle against Hamas.
- Hamas's actions condemned by Netanyahu as monstrous.
- Calls for global support in demanding hostage releases.
- Commitment to justice for those responsible for these atrocities.
Tel Aviv, Feb 21 (NationPress) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday conveyed deep sorrow and indignation regarding the heinous killings of abducted children by Hamas as their remains were returned to Israel during a time of national mourning.
In a heartfelt statement, Netanyahu remarked: "Today marks a tragic day. It is a day filled with profound grief, of unimaginable anguish. Four-year-old Ariel Bibas, his infant brother, one-year-old Kfir, and 84-year-old Oded Lifshitz were mercilessly slain by Hamas barbarians. Their bodies return to a grieving nation. A nation that will never forget and never forgive the malevolence that extinguished these innocent lives."
The Israeli Prime Minister reflected on the events of that "dark day on October 7, 2023", when "Hamas slaughtered and incinerated 1,200 of our loved ones and friends, and Israel awaited anxiously, hoping against hope that our captives would emerge from the Hamas nightmare."
"Despite the odds, we managed to bring many back. Some we rescued. Tragically, some we could not. The Bibas children, in particular, became a symbol of our identity and of what we are fighting against," he stated.
Accompanying pictures of the children, Netanyahu further expressed: "Here are the photos of the Bibas brothers. These innocent children were just four years old and under one year old when the Hamas barbarians snatched them from their mother’s embrace.
"She fought valiantly to protect her boys. Just picture their terror. Imagine their bewilderment. Perfect little children who never harmed anyone, held captive until Hamas murdered them in cold blood."
Expressing his outrage towards Hamas, the Israeli Prime Minister declared: "Who abducts a little boy and a baby and then murders them? Monsters. That is who. These Hamas monsters also cruelly declined to return the boys’ mother, Shiri, opting instead to send the body of a Gazan woman, blatantly violating the terms of the agreement.
"The entire civilized world should denounce these atrocious killings. The entire civilized world should stand with Israel in demanding the immediate release of all hostages. The whole of Israel is united in sorrow."
Netanyahu further asserted that as the Prime Minister of Israel, "I pledge that I will not rest until the barbarians who executed our hostages are brought to justice."
"They do not deserve to inhabit this earth. Nothing will deter me. Nothing. Ariel, Kfir, and Oded: I am profoundly sorry we could not save you from the monsters who perpetrated this. We honor your kind and loving spirits, so tragically taken by malevolent terror. May your memories be a perpetual blessing and a reminder that we must combat this evil and eliminate it from the face of the earth," he concluded.
