The Israeli Hostages and Missing Persons Forum issued an angry statement on Wednesday in response to the announcement of the expansion of military operations in the Gaza Strip.
Addressing Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz, the forum said: "Has it been decided to sacrifice the hostages for regional gains?"
The forum added, "Instead of securing the release of hostages through an agreement and ending the war, the Israeli government is sending more soldiers into Gaza to fight in the same areas where battles have repeatedly occurred."
The statement mentioned that "families were horrified when they woke up this morning to the Defense Minister's announcement about expanding military operations in Gaza with the aim of controlling vast areas of land."
Earlier on Wednesday, the Israeli Defense Minister announced that Israel is expanding its operations in Gaza to "control large swathes" of the territory.
Katz stated in a release that the forces will move to "clear the areas of terrorists and infrastructure," as he termed it. He added that "the forces will seize large areas to be added to the security zones of the State of Israel."