WATCH: Netanyahu Condemns Hamas For Execution Of Six Hostages Amid Growing Tensions In Gaza

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has condemned the Palestinian group Hamas for the execution of six Israeli hostages, whose bodies were recovered from Gaza.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Netanyahu revealed that the hostages were shot in the back of the head at close range, sparking widespread grief and anger across Israel.

“These murderers executed six of our hostages by shooting them in the back of the head,” he said during a press conference.

Maximum pressure should be put on Hamas. pic.twitter.com/ll92rWUHl3

— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) September 2, 2024

The announcement has intensified public outrage, with large-scale protests erupting over the government’s failure to secure the hostages’ release.

Israel’s health ministry confirmed the hostages were executed shortly before their bodies were retrieved from the Gaza Strip.

In response, Hamas issued a grim warning, stating that any further military pressure from Israel would result in hostages returning “inside coffins.”

Abu Obeida, the spokesman for Hamas’s armed wing, the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, emphasized that Netanyahu’s refusal to negotiate for the hostages’ release through a deal, rather than military action, would have deadly consequences.

“Netanyahu’s insistence on using military pressure to free the prisoners rather than negotiating a deal will result in them returning to their families in coffins,” said Abu Obeida, spokesman for the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, in a statement.

Netanyahu has called on the international community to increase pressure on Hamas to end the conflict, which was triggered by the militants’ deadly October 7 attack on southern Israel.

He also reiterated Israel’s stance on maintaining control over the Philadelphi Corridor, a critical area along the Egypt-Gaza border, which has become a major point of contention in ongoing negotiations mediated by the United States, Egypt, and Qatar.

Despite international efforts, talks remain stalled, with Hamas demanding a complete Israeli withdrawal from the area. Netanyahu, however, insists that control of the Philadelphi Corridor is essential to prevent the smuggling of hostages out of Gaza.

Of the 251 people taken hostage during the October 7 attack, 97 remain in Gaza, with 33 believed to be dead, according to Israeli military reports.