![Former Prime Minister of Israel Ehud Barak poses for a portrait in his office in Tel Aviv, Israel on 18 July, 2023 [Noam Galai/Getty Images]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/GettyImages-1554479863-scaled-e1697540663719.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1)
Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak has said that the only way to return the Israeli detainees being held in Gaza is to end the war. According to Israel’s Channel 12 yesterday, a senior Israeli official has said that discussions regarding an exchange deal with the Palestinian resistance groups have reached a dead end. The official claimed that Israel has no choice but to continue military pressure to release the detainees.
However, Barak disagreed. He also described Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a “failure” who is causing strategic ruin for Israel and called for his removal from power by all means.
Barak’s comment comes as the families of Israeli prisoners held in Gaza continue to put pressure on the far-right government to conclude a deal that guarantees their release. On Saturday, thousands demonstrated across Israel demanding the conclusion of a prisoner exchange deal.
Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper said that the demonstrations in Tel Aviv were the largest since last October. It added that thousands have also called for an early election to overthrow Netanyahu’s government.
Families of Israeli detainees told a press conference that a deal cannot be concluded without overthrowing Netanyahu’s cabinet. “[Our] children are dying in captivity, because Netanyahu does not want an exchange deal because he realises that their return means his departure from the government,” reported Hebrew Channel 13.
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