ירמיהו, פרק נ״ב, פסוק י׳

The brutal executions carried out in Riblah were a calculated punishment aimed at destroying the royal family and the remaining leadership of Judah. Although the King of Babylon is described as carrying out the slaughter, he did not perform the act with his own hands. Instead, he issued the direct orders for their deaths [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

Following the execution of Zedekiah's sons, the remaining princes of Judah were also put to death. On a practical level, these individuals were the political leaders who had either stayed by Zedekiah's side or had been captured separately [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

However, the identity of these leaders holds a much deeper spiritual and historical weight. They were the members of the high court. The King of Babylon specifically targeted them for execution because he held them responsible for officially releasing Zedekiah from his oath of loyalty to Babylon. This release served as more than just a political justification for the king's revenge; the breaking of the oath was fundamentally viewed as a severe sin in the eyes of God [רש״י].