Gaza City: Palestinian resistance group Hamas has declared that Israeli hostages under their custody were killed due to the actions of the Israeli army, which operated under the directives of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to continue military operations in Gaza.

According to Anadolu Agency, Hamas issued a statement during the handover of four Israeli captives' bodies, asserting that they had endeavored to keep the captives alive, providing care and humane treatment. The group alleged that the captives were killed in the aftermath of Israeli military actions. Hamas accused Netanyahu of shedding tears over the returned bodies to deflect blame for their deaths.

In its address to the families of the deceased captives, particularly the Bibas and Lifshitz families, Hamas expressed a desire for the captives' return alive. The group criticized the Israeli leadership for putting military objectives over the lives of its citizens, holding the government responsible for the captives' deaths due to its continuous obstruction of exchange agreements.

Hamas emphasized that a prisoner swap is the sole viable method to ensure captives' safe return to their families. The group warned that attempts to retrieve hostages through military means would only lead to further casualties.