The families of Israeli prisoners in Gaza said on Saturday that the escalation of fighting in the Strip will not only lead to the deaths of their loved ones, but also "the obliteration of the bodies of those killed."

This came during a joint press conference organized by the families of the Israeli prisoners in front of the Ministry of Defense headquarters in Tel Aviv, broadcast by the private Israeli Channel 12.

A relative of one of the prisoners said during the conference: "The escalation of the fighting will not only kill the detainees, but will also wipe out the bodies of the dead."

He added, "The war that (Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu claims is a war of peace, is a war of killing detainees, and we must stand against it."

Another relative of one of the prisoners stated that "calling up reserve soldiers to expand the military operation in Gaza will only result in the deaths of the kidnapped soldiers."