TEL AVIV, September 2. /TASS/. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned Hamas about the high cost it will have to pay for the murder of six Israeli hostages in the Gaza Strip.

"Israel will not put up with it and will not forget this murder. Hamas will pay a high price for this," he said.

The prime minister extended his condolences to the families of the murdered hostages and stressed that Israel is fighting for survival and must stay united. "I apologize for failing to return them alive. We were so close to it but we failed," he noted.

The Israeli military found the bodies of six Israeli hostages in an underground tunnel near the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on August 31. Alexander Lobanov, who was both Israeli and Russian citizen, was among them. Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Spokesman Daniel Hagari said on September 1 that the forensic examination indicated that the six had been shot dead shortly before Israeli troops reached the area.

Hamas claims that these hostages died in Israel’s bombardments but Israel’s health ministry said that the forensic examination indicated that the six had been shot dead from a point-blank range two or three days before the examination, or on August 29 or 30.