Families of Israeli prisoners in the Gaza Strip put pressure on the Israeli government in the Knesset on Monday, hoping to force it to conclude a prisoner exchange agreement with Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip.

Members of the prisoners' families launched a sharp attack on members of the parliamentary National Security Committee, accusing them of not being serious in dealing with the prisoners' file.

"The legislators cannot claim that military pressure (on Gaza) will bring back the hostages," said Shai Dikman, cousin of Gaza prisoner Carmel Gat, according to the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation.

In another meeting with the Knesset Interior Committee, Einav Zangawker, the mother of soldier Matan, said: “Our loved ones are dying in the tunnels (in Gaza)... While we are fighting for their release, legitimate people continue to go about their daily lives.”

The broadcaster quoted her as saying: "We ask ourselves what is more important than giving up the kidnapped people? It is time to say clearly: There is no issue more important than the return of the hostages."

Gilad Korngold, father of captive Tal Shoham, said: “There are kidnapped people who were buried alive (as a result of random Israeli raids)... This is the only existential threat to Israel.”

For days, the families of Israeli prisoners have been escalating their activities to demand that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government reach an agreement.

On Saturday evening, families held a demonstration in Tel Aviv (central), accusing Netanyahu of not being serious about concluding an agreement.

"Netanyahu does not want a deal because he wants to continue to rule," Yehuda Cohen, whose son Nimrod is a prisoner in Gaza, told reporters in Tel Aviv on Saturday evening.

He added: "If Netanyahu wants to remain prime minister in general, and free in particular since he is being tried criminally (on corruption charges), he will continue to insist on continuing the war, and continue to rule on the blood of hostages, civilians and Israeli soldiers."

Cohen continued: "The only way to reach a deal is to force Netanyahu."

Tel Aviv holds more than 9,500 Palestinians in its prisons, and estimates that there are 101 Israeli prisoners in Gaza, while Hamas says that dozens of them were killed in random Israeli raids.