Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu apologized today to the family of slain hostage Alexander Lobanov after he and five other hostages held in Gaza were not rescued alive, DPA reported, calling the prime minister's move "rare", BTA quoted.
„Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke today with Oksana and Grigory Lobanov, the parents of Alexander Lobanov, who was killed while being held hostage by “Hamas”. "The Prime Minister expressed deep regret and apologized to the family for the failure of the State of Israel to return Alexander and the five other hostages alive," the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement. Today, Netanyahu is expected to contact the other families of the hostages who died, his office added.
Meanwhile, Netanyahu's military adviser, Major General Roman Hoffman, returned this morning from a visit to Moscow aimed at making progress on Gaza truce efforts, according to the statement. The fate of Alexander Lobanov and the other hostages was also discussed at the meeting in the Russian capital. Lobanov, father of two children, had dual Russian-Israeli citizenship.