JERUSALEM, Israel – Israelis were saddened to learn Monday that more bodies of the Hamas-held hostages have been found as the U.S. continues the pressure on Israel to agree to a ceasefire.

The Israeli military confirmed the deaths of four hostages while they were being held captive in Gaza.

IDF Spokesman Daniel Hagari announced, “Their loved ones were killed a few months ago during Hamas captivity in Gaza and their bodies are still being held by Hamas. We assess that the four of them were killed while together in the area of Khan Younis during our operation there against Hamas.”

Three of the men from Kibbutz Nir Oz were seen alive in an earlier Hamas propaganda video.

“Hamas is holding women, children, the sick, and the elderly hostage in Gaza,” Hagari stated. “We will keep on doing everything we need for their freedom, to bring them home. This is what any other decent country in the world would do.”

The Biden administration claims the remaining hostages could be freed and the war would end if Israel and Hamas would accept a ceasefire backed by the White House.

The U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thompson is urging the U.N. Security Council to support the three-phase plan announced by President Biden to end the war.

Israeli columnist and commentator Caroline Glick told CBN News the latest White House tactic is bad for Israel.

“So, this is a way of going around the Israeli government, going around the Israeli people, going around the American people to try to compel Israel to capitulate through the United Nations – and did the same thing in (2016) with the nuclear deal that President Obama finalized with Iran that gave Iran an open path to a nuclear arsenal.” 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected the part of the plan that would end the war before Israel destroys Hamas’ ability to govern Gaza and strike the Jewish nation.

Biden and his State Department assert the IDF has already weakened Hamas to such an extent that the terrorist group can no longer launch deadly attacks like it did on October 7th. So, in their view, Israel should accept an end to the war now.

State Department Spokesman Matthew Miller insisted, “Endless conflict in Gaza in pursuit of some idea of total victory is not going to make Israel safer.”

Israel counters that the pitched battles and Hamas rocket launches still ongoing in Gaza prove Hamas is far from defeated.

Netanyahu’s foreign and domestic opponents claim he won’t agree to a ceasefire now because extreme elements in his coalition are pressuring him.

But the prime minister claims he’s being consistent with the War Cabinet’s firm goal from the start: no peace until Hamas has been eliminated and all of the hostages are freed.

“We insist that we complete both this and that,” Netanyahu stated. “It’s part of the outline, it’s not something I’m adding now, it’s not something I’m adding because I was pressured in the coalition, it’s something we unanimously agreed on in the war cabinet with one voice.”

Meanwhile, there seems to be confusion over when Netanyahu is scheduled to address a joint session of Congress in Washington. Media reports suggest the address has been set for June 13, but the Prime Minister’s Office says no date has yet been set.

In northern Israel, IDF troops and fire and rescue services have gained control for now over raging fires sparked by Hezbollah rocket fire in the Galilee.

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