The families of the prisoners said that they had lost confidence in Netanyahu’s government (Getty)

Israeli media said that the families of Israeli detainees in the Gaza Strip began a sit-in on Friday evening in front of the house of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the city of Caesarea, south of Haifa, and set up tents to sleep in the place.

The sit-in comes within the framework of pressure exerted by the families of the prisoners on the Netanyahu government to conclude an exchange deal with the Palestinian resistance factions, as Israeli officials acknowledge that the exchange is the only way to recover the prisoners detained in the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli Broadcasting Authority quoted a number of prisoners' families as saying that they had lost confidence in the government and were taking their own actions.

The authority quoted a relative of the detainees as saying, "Any delay in the negotiations puts their lives in danger."

Former head of the Israeli intelligence service (Mossad), Tamir Pardo, said in a statement to the authority, “If Netanyahu decides to give up the prisoners, let him say it publicly in front of the public.”

He added, "If we end the war with 136 coffins, Israel will lose for the first time. Care must be taken to correct the state's abandonment and betrayal of its citizens."

◾The families of the occupation prisoners in Gaza prepare to sleep in tents in front of the house of the occupation prime minister in Caesarea.

pic.twitter.com/vdfmyu3qLT

- Palestine Dialogue Network (@paldf) January 19, 2024

Israel estimates that there are about 136 prisoners still detained in Gaza, according to identical media reports and statements by Israeli officials.

On October 7, the Palestinian resistance factions, led by the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), captured at least about 239 people in towns and cities surrounding the Gaza Strip, and exchanged dozens of them with Israel during a temporary humanitarian truce that lasted 7 days and ended in early December. Last December.

On the other hand, Palestinian prisoners’ institutions reported that, under the truce, Israel released 240 Palestinian prisoners from its prisons, including 71 female prisoners and 169 children.

Source: Al Jazeera + Anatolia