Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement issued Saturday evening that Israel must ensure the return of all the remaining hostages held captive in Gaza.
Katz added that Israel must also destroy Hamas, so that such a devastating tragedy like the October 7, 2023 invasion by thousands of Hamas-led terrorists and their Gazan followers, and the massacre of some 1,200 people in southern Israel can never happen again.
“The return of Eliya, Omer, Hisham, Avera, Omer, and Tal is a moving and joyful moment for their families and for the entire Israeli people,” Katz said.
The defense minister also noted that Saturday’s joy was “also accompanied by deep pain over the fate of Shiri Bibas and her sons Ariel and Kfir, who were murdered with unparalleled cruelty by Hamas terrorists and their accomplices. We cannot pass over this terrible and horrific act.”
Katz thanked “the heroic IDF fighters” for their service and their sacrifice for ensuring “our brothers and sisters are returning home to their loved ones.”
The minister emphasized, “We must do everything to return all the kidnapped, living and dead, and ensure that the rule of the Hamas monsters in Gaza is destroyed and no longer poses a threat to our citizens.”
