TEL AVIV: Families of hostages taken by Hamas have slammed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu while he addressed parliament, vowing to bring back the captives but seeking more time, Western media reported on Monday.
The families strongly condemned and chanted slogans from the gallery when Netanyahu said Israeli forces first needed to put more military pressure on Hamas in Gaza.
He added Israel wouldn’t be able to secure the release of hostages without military pressure.
Earlier freed hostages and family members clashed with Benjamin Netanyahu over inability to release remaining captives and strongly criticized his approach towards war in Gaza.
Relatives of the captives during the meeting bitterly criticized Netanyahu government.
According to Gaza health ministry at least 20,674 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed in unrelenting Israeli bombardments since October 7.
READ ALSO: Gaza Death Toll Surges to 20,674 as Israel Intensifies Airstrikes on Christmas Day
The UN has said that some 1.87 million Palestinians, over 80 percent of Gaza’s population, have left their homes because of the Israeli bombardment of the besieged enclave.
The Israeli raids have almost destroyed entire neighborhoods in northern Gaza. Israeli ground troops have been facing heavy resistance from Hamas fighters in the area.
Earlier, under a week-long truce deal last month that Qatar helped negotiate, supported by Egypt and the United States, freed 110 captives in exchange for 240 Palestinians languishing in Israeli jails.
