Netanyahu: Returning hostages is my responsibility

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he is personally responsible for the release of Israeli hostages in the Gaza Strip.

"Together with the War Cabinet, I met tonight with the families of the abductees who are always in my heart and guide my actions. Restoring our abductees is a sacred and supreme task - and I am committed to it," he wrote on Telegram.

"We have not relented from the task of returning them, and this is my responsibility and that of the War Cabinet. I listened to the pain of the families. We spoke heart to heart, I shared with them as much as I could about the political, intelligence and operational efforts that we lead around the clock," the prime minister added.

"I told the dear families: our abductees are always in front of my eyes - from the moment I get up in the morning until I go to bed late at night - all the time. We will not stop fighting until we return our hostages home, destroy Hamas and ensure that there is no more threat from Gaza," he wrote.

Netanyahu made the comment following a meeting between members of the narrow war cabinet and relatives of the abducted Israelis, which was held at Israel's defence ministry headquarters.