The fate of the hostages has gripped Israeli society, and while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly insisted that military pressure is the only way to bring them home, he has faced mounting calls to strike a deal, AFP reports.

Addressing the prime minister, Adina Moshe, one of the hostages released as part of a temporary ceasefire deal brokered in November, told a press conference in Tel Aviv: “Everything is in your hands.”

“And I’m very afraid and very concerned that if you continue with this line of destroying Hamas, there won’t be any hostages left to release,” she added.