The families of Israeli prisoners in the Gaza Strip said on Saturday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had decided to abandon their relatives in order to preserve his political position.

These criticisms came at a press conference held by the prisoners' families in front of the Israeli Defense Ministry headquarters, "Kirya", in Tel Aviv, ahead of the first anniversary of the October 7, 2023 attack.

The spark of the genocidal war waged by Israel on Gaza erupted after a surprise attack launched by Hamas and Palestinian factions on Israeli settlements and military sites adjacent to the Strip on October 7, 2023.

This put Tel Aviv in a state of shock and confusion at all levels, amid accusations against Netanyahu's government, the security establishment and the army of failing to predict it, which Israeli officials considered "the largest intelligence breach in the history of the state."

The prisoners' families stressed that the prime minister "consciously decided to sacrifice their lives for the sake of his continued rule," and that "the kidnapped have become hostages in Netanyahu's war for political survival."

They added in the press conference broadcast by the official Kan channel that Netanyahu "not only bears responsibility, but also deliberately ignores their issue and tries to make them forget" the Israeli prisoners in the Gaza Strip.