The families of a few Israeli hostages don't want a deal to bring them home. They want Hamas crushed

A small group of families of Israelis who are hostages of Hamas believes that only continued Israeli military pressure on the militant group, rather than a deal, will free the captives

JERUSALEM -- Chants of “Now! Now! Now!” ring out at nearly every protest in Israel imploring the government to do everything possible to win the immediate release of dozens of hostages held by Hamas.

But a small group of hostages' families is pushing a different message: Let the army first finish the job of defeating the militant group, even if that delays the return of their loved ones.

These families argue that the price to be paid in any hostage deal — the release of large numbers of Palestinian militants held by Israel — would endanger the country in the future.

“When you release terrorists, they will return to murder. That’s how it has always been,” said Tzvika Mor, whose son Eitan, 23, was abducted four months ago from the Nova music festival, where he was working as a security guard.

“How can you stand in front of people and say, ’I want my son back, and I don’t care about you?’” Mor told The Associated Press by phone. “Instead of us only worrying about our son, we are concerned for the whole country."