"It broke my heart": Israel PM Netanyahu mourns death of three hostages mistakenly killed by IDF

Tel Aviv [Israel], December 17 : Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mourned the deaths of three Israeli hostages, who were mistakenly killed by the IDF, but said that the ground operation will continue until the terror group Hamas is destroyed, Times of Israel reported.
Netanyahu said on Saturday (local time) that he mourns the "tragic deaths of our three hostages" -- Yotam Haim, Samar Talalka, Alon Shamriz -- mistakenly shot dead Friday morning by IDF soldiers.
"It broke my heart; it broke the hearts of the nation," Netanyahu said.
But he also added, "We are fighting for our existence... and we have to continue until victory" -- despite international pressure and the losses Israel is suffering, Times of Israel reported.
The Israeli Prime Minister said that he has been asking himself, and doubtless, all Israelis have been asking, "What if..." and "If only something had been different...We were so close to embracing them".
"But we can't turn back the clock," he added, noting that all warriors know that "the distance between victory and disaster is a hair's breadth.".
He further affirmed that Israel will learn the lesson and will maintain "the military and diplomatic effort" to bring back all the hostages.
"They touched salvation, and then the disaster happened," Times of Israel quoted Netanyahu as saying.
This comes after the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) mistakenly killed three of its hostages on Friday by identifying them as 'threats'.
IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari informed about the incident, saying that they bear responsibility for the "tragic incident."
During the joint press conference, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant also said that he takes responsibility for the "tragic, accidental killing" of three hostages by IDF troops.
"As defence minister, I take responsibility for everything that happens in the security establishment and everything that happens in this war, the achievements and the costs, and the severe mistakes. The same is true for the incident yesterday," said Gallant on Saturday.
He noted the complexity of fighting in the Shejaiya district where the incident took place, with Hamas fighters "in every house and every alleyway," and said that the area is full of "booby traps and potential ambushes," the Times of Israel reported.
"I have lost commanders and brothers in arms; I have seen a lot of difficult incidents, a lot that were close to me, including friends dying in battle. This is one of the most tragic incidents I have ever known," Gallant said.
He added, "The price of war is very high. We pay it every day, but when you know that you are on a path that is just, then you are willing to pay a price until you achieve your entire goal, which here is destroying Hamas and returning all the hostages to their homes."