Netanyahu denies responsibility for Israeli hostages' death, accuses Hamas of impeding talks

ANKARA

Israel's prime minister on Sunday denied responsibility for the deaths of six Israeli hostages whose bodies were recently recovered in the southern Gaza Strip.

"Israel would not rest until it catches those responsible for the murdering of six hostages," Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement.

Netanyahu condemned Palestinian group Hamas for its alleged refusal to engage in "genuine negotiations."

He claimed that the resistance group was "obstructing" efforts to secure the release of remaining hostages and undermining Israel's security, adding that Israel "was committed to achieving a deal to release remaining hostages and ensure Israel's security."

"Whoever murders hostages does not want a deal," he added.

Netanyahu's statements came after the Israeli army reported finding the bodies of six hostages in Gaza.

The army alleged that the hostages were killed by Hamas while in captivity. However, a senior Hamas official stated on Sunday that the hostages were killed as a result of ongoing Israeli airstrikes on the Strip.

Before the discovery, Israel had said that 107 hostages remained in Gaza, some of whom were believed to have already been killed. Hamas has said that dozens of hostages were killed by Israeli airstrikes targeting Gaza.

Israel's offensive on Gaza, which has continued since an attack by Hamas on Oct. 7, has resulted in nearly 40,700 Palestinian deaths, mostly women and children, according to local health authorities. The conflict has also left Gaza in ruins, with severe shortages of food, clean water, and medicine.

Israel faces genocide accusations at the International Court of Justice, which has ordered an immediate halt to military operations in Rafah, where over one million Palestinians had sought refuge.

*Writing by Ikram Kouachi