Netanyahu to Hamas: ‘Whoever murders hostages - does not want a deal'

Following the discovery of the bodies of six Israeli hostages in the Gaza Strip, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday accused the Palestinian militant group Hamas of systematically sabotaging efforts to reach a ceasefire.

"Whoever murders hostages – does not want a deal," Netanyahu said in a video message.

"This is a difficult day for us," he said, adding that the heart of the entire nation has been torn.

Netanyahu vowed to do everything possible to prevent Hamas from killing other hostages, saying efforts to free those remaining are continuing.

But he blamed Hamas, saying that since December, the Islamist organization has refused to engage in real negotiations. He accused Hamas of rejecting several proposals he said Israel had agreed to.

Critics in Israel, however, accuse Netanyahu of undermining the efforts to reach a ceasefire for domestic political and personal reasons.

On Sunday Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said the security Cabinet's decision a few days ago to keep troops between Egypt and Gaza - a major sticking point in the negotiations - must be reversed and he called for an emergency Cabinet meeting.