Hebrew media: Israel fears that prisoners will fall into the hands of parties with whom negotiations are difficult.

Israeli security sources expressed fear that Israeli prisoners in the Gaza Strip could fall into the hands of parties with whom negotiations are difficult if Hamas collapses, according to Hebrew media on Tuesday.

Yedioth Ahronoth quoted unnamed sources as saying they expressed to the prisoners' families their fear that if Hamas collapses, their relatives could fall into the hands of other parties with whom negotiations are difficult.

Tel Aviv estimates that there are 58 Israeli prisoners in Gaza, 20 of whom are still alive. Meanwhile, more than 10,100 Palestinians are languishing in its prisons, suffering torture, starvation, and medical neglect, many of whom have died, according to Palestinian and Israeli human rights and media reports.

The sources added: "Given the chaotic situation in the Gaza Strip, there are fears that the prisoners will be handed over to 'armed militias' or other parties."

She expressed her fear that "elements within the Hamas leadership might decide to secede from the movement and take the hostages with them as bargaining chips in the future," she claimed.

She continued, "In this case, it will be difficult to conduct negotiations, as Israel will be forced to speak with multiple different parties, not just one."

Hamas has repeatedly affirmed its commitment to preserving the lives of prisoners, despite Israel's indiscriminate, bloody bombardment and systematic starvation of some 2.4 million Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip.

Israeli security sources believe this potential scenario requires "we push for an agreement on the hostages today before it's too late."

Hamas has repeatedly declared its willingness to release Israeli prisoners "in one batch" in exchange for an end to the war of extermination, the withdrawal of the Israeli army from Gaza, and the release of Palestinian prisoners.

But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court, is evading the agreement by proposing new conditions, including the disarmament of Palestinian factions, and is currently insisting on reoccupying Gaza.

The Israeli opposition and prisoners' families assert that Netanyahu is continuing the war in deference to the more extreme right-wing faction within his government, to advance his personal political interests, particularly his continued hold on power.

Since October 7, 2023, Israel has been waging a war of genocide in Gaza, including killing, starvation, destruction, and forced displacement, ignoring all international calls and orders from the International Court of Justice to halt it.

The genocide, backed by the United States, left more than 179,000 Palestinians dead and wounded, most of them children and women, and more than 11,000 missing, in addition to hundreds of thousands of displaced persons and a famine that killed many, including children.

For decades, Israel has occupied territories in Palestine, Syria, and Lebanon, and refuses to withdraw from them and establish an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, along the pre-1967 borders.