Tel Aviv, Feb 21 (IANS) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday expressed sorrow and anger over the brutal killing of kidnapped children by Hamas as their bodies were returned to Israel amid national mourning.
In a statement, Netanyahu said: "Today is a tragic day. It's a day of boundless sorrow, of indescribable pain. Four-year-old Ariel Bibas, his baby brother, one-year-old Kfir and 84-year-old Oded Lifshitz were brutally murdered by Hamas savages. Their bodies return home to a nation in mourning. A nation that will never forget and never forgive the evil that cut down these beautiful souls."
The Israeli Prime Minister said that since that "black day on October 7, 2023", when "the Hamas butchered and burned 1,200 of our families and friends, Israel waited with bated breath, hoping beyond hope that our hostages would survive the Hamas hell".
"Against all odds, we succeeded in bringing many home. Some we rescued. Some we tragically couldn't. The Bibas children in particular became the symbol of who we are, and who we're fighting against," he said.
Sharing pictures of the kids, Netanyahu further wrote: "Here is a photo of the Bibas brothers. These perfect children, again, were four years old and less than one year old when the Hamas savages snatched them from their mother's arms.
"She fought like a lioness to protect her boys. Just imagine their horror. Imagine their confusion. Perfect little children who never hurt a soul. They languished in captivity until Hamas murdered them in cold blood."
Expressing his anger in strong words against Hamas, the Israeli Prime Minister said: "Who kidnaps a little boy and a baby and murders them? Monsters. That's who. These Hamas monsters also cynically refused to bring back the boys' mother, Shiri, and sent the body of a Gazan woman instead, in brazen violation of the agreement.
"The entire civilised world should condemn these horrific murders. The entire civilised world should join Israel in demanding the immediate release of all the hostages. All of Israel is united in grief."
Netanyahu further said that as the Prime Minister of Israel, "I vow that I will not rest until the savages who executed our hostages are brought to justice".
"They do not deserve to walk this earth. Nothing will stop me. Nothing. Ariel, Kfir and Oded: I am so sorry we couldn't save you from the monsters who did this. We honor your kind and loving souls, so tragically cut down by evil terror. May your memories forever be a blessing and a reminder to all of us that we must fight this evil and eradicate it from the face of this earth," he added.
