Itay Ben Dror was discovered trying to slash his wrists. Two days after being arrested, police took him back to the flat where, they alleged, he re-enacted the murders.

Police claim he told them: "I murdered the kids so that they would have some peace and quiet from their mother.

"Today they are in heaven waiting for me."

It is one of the most gruesome cases of family violence in the country's history.

An ambulance crew found the youngsters dead on a bed in the flat in the resort's Borochov Street on Saturday morning.

The children - Omer, 10, Roni, eight, and five-year-old Or - had received stab wounds across their entire bodies.

Police disclosed that the father had recently been discharged from a psychiatric hospital. He had a history of psychiatric problems, including depression.

The police also said that he had tried to kill himself at least six times in the past.

He is alleged to have put the children to bed and then stabbed them in their sleep.

Police claim he then wrote several notes, with instructions for rescuers in case his suicide was successful.

In one of the notes, he allegedly wrote that he and the children "will now finally be together in heaven".

It went on: "I will take you with me to the next world, where we will be together for eternity."

Ben Dror was escorted to the town's Laniado hospital with a light wound to his hand.

It is alleged that from his hospital bed he passed a message to his court-appointed lawyer, saying : "Now my children have found peace."

Police chief Shimon Shomroni claimed the murders were planned in advance.

The police were alerted by Ben Dror's father who feared his son was attempting to commit suicide.

Police said a copy of Ben Dror's ID card was found at the scene, with the words "I'm insane" scribbled on it.

It is understood that the children, who live with their mother Lilach in Beit Horia in Netanya, were spending the weekend with their father. Unsupervised visits had been recommended by a psychiatrist.

Ben Dror had separated from her not long ago and moved into the apartment in Borochov Street.

It is understand that Lilach had demanded a divorce when he allegedly began an affair with another woman.

Lilach was mourning the death of her father when she received the tragic news. She had also celebrated her birthday the night before the murder.

After she was told of the children's deaths, she was reported to have asked her family to "let me die - there is no point in living".

She sobbed that her goal in life now was for her ex-husband Itay "to sit behind bars".

She added: "After that I will join my children. A mother doesn't abandon her children."

Her sister Sivoni said that she blames social services in the nearby town of Kfar Yona for not intervening earlier.

"They pressured her into giving the father the right to see the children, even though the writing was on the wall," she added.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed shock and sadness over the murders.

He told the Cabinet: "All the people of Israel are shocked and appalled at the tragic murder of three young children.

"The government must do everything possible to prevent such acts in the future."

Hundreds attended the funerals of the three children at Netanya cemetery.

At Ramle Magistrate's Court, Ben Dror was remanded for 10 days.

Judge Liora Frankel referred to the crime as "a disturbing and extremely painful incident".