JERUSALEM

The families of Israeli hostages in the Gaza Strip said Saturday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government are attempting to obstruct a prisoner exchange deal with Hamas.

It came during a news conference organized by the families near the Defense Ministry headquarters in Tel Aviv, in response to Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who claimed that the war in Gaza would resume immediately after the completion of the first phase of the agreement.

The families said, "Netanyahu is trying to hinder the prisoner exchange agreement."

"We, the families awaiting the implementation of the next phases of the deal, are extremely concerned," they said. "We are making another appeal to President (Donald) Trump, as Netanyahu and his ministers are trying to derail and obstruct the agreement."

They also said that "Minister Smotrich has declared that the war will resume immediately after the first phase ends, but we will not allow them to sabotage the agreement and leave the remaining hostages to their fate."

The families expressed joy about the release of some of the captives in the first phase of the deal but criticized Israeli leadership, saying that the remaining hostages had been "left in captivity for too long due to irresponsible political calculations."

They emphasized: "There are still 79 hostages in captivity, waiting to be rescued now."

Buses carrying Palestinian prisoners set free arrived Saturday in Ramallah and Khan Younis in southern Gaza. A total of 183 prisoners were to be freed in the fourth prisoner-hostage swap under the truce.

Three Israeli captives -- Keith Siegel, Ofer Kalderon and Yarden Bibas -- were also released by Hamas.