Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met families of prisoners freed from Gaza. The encounter was described as tense by Israeli media.

Tuesday’s meeting took place amidst intensified fighting in the besieged Gaza Strip after the end of a seven-day lull in hostilities that allowed the return of more than 100 prisoners captured by the Palestinian armed group Hamas during its Oct. 7 attack on Israel in exchange for about 240 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons .

Israel said on Tuesday that some 138 prisoners remained in the area.

Several of the relatives who attended the meeting expressed bitter criticism of the government.

Dani Miran, whose son Omri was among the prisoners, said he was so disgusted that he left the meeting in the middle of the meeting.

“I won’t go into detail about what was discussed, but this whole performance was ugly, offensive and chaotic,” he told Israel’s Channel 13, saying the government had made a “farce” of the matter.

“They say, ‘We did this, we did that’.” [Hamas’ Gaza leader Yahya] Sinwar is the one who brought our people back, not them. It annoys me that they say they dictated things. They hadn’t dictated a single step.”

Israel says several women and children remain in the hands of Hamas, while families with adult male relatives in captivity demand they not be forgotten.

“It was a very turbulent meeting, a lot of people were screaming,” said Jennifer Master, whose partner Andrey is still being held by Hamas.

“We are all trying to make sure our loved ones come home. There are those who want the remaining women or the remaining children, and those who say we want the men,” the master told Israel’s Channel 12.

Family members called for immediate action to ensure the release of the remaining prisoners.

“I asked Netanyahu if the main goal of the war was the repatriation of the hostages,” Meirav Leshem Gonen, mother of 23-year-old hostage Romi Gonen, said on Israeli television after the meeting.

“He answered me straight, ‘Yes,'” she said. “I’m happy with his answer, but reality is all that matters.”

Leshem Gonen said she was concerned that prisoners were being “severely mistreated – women, young girls and men too.”

At a subsequent news conference, Netanyahu said he had heard stories that “broke my heart” about thirst and hunger and physical and mental abuse.

“I have heard, and you have also heard, of sexual assaults and cases of brutal rape that are unparalleled,” he added.

Israel has said it is investigating several cases of alleged sexual assault and rape by Hamas militants during their Oct. 7 attack that killed 1,200 people.

Witnesses and medical experts said some fighters committed rape and other attacks before killing victims, although the extent of sexual violence remained unknown. Hamas has denied carrying out such attacks.

After the Hamas attack, Israel began an intensive bombardment of the Gaza Strip, saying it wanted to destroy the group and free the prisoners. According to Hamas, which has controlled the territory since 2006, more than 16,200 people have been killed in the attacks in Gaza.

Some families, meanwhile, appeared to be losing patience with Netanyahu’s government.

“We have faith in our children that they are strong and will overcome this, and we want our government and the military to do what they are doing as quickly as possible – as quickly as possible – to begin negotiations,” said Idit Ohel, the mother of 21-year-old hostage Alon, during an online discussion organized by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum.

“Sixty days is too long,” she said, raising her voice. “I don’t want 61 days, I don’t want 65 days. I want her back now.”

Israel withdrew its negotiators from Qatar on December 2 and made “a”dead end” after there was no progress in talks to secure a renewed cessation of hostilities.

Afterwards, Hamas said it would not release any more prisoners until the war in Gaza ended.