The parent group of about 800 Israelis said in a letter addressed to Netanyahu, a copy of which was obtained by AFP, that they "cannot allow you to continue sacrificing our children as cannon fodder".

Israeli troops fighting in the Gaza Strip during the Israeli genocidal war have killed more than 46,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry, figures the UN says are reliable.

Critics of Netanyahu have repeatedly accused him of derailing efforts to end the war for political gain and to prevent the potential collapse of his hard-right coalition.

"We accuse you of an endless war, unprecedented in the history of our country," said the letter from the group called Parents of Soldiers Say Enough.

"This is only due to your personal political survival interests," the parents argued.

Months of mediation efforts to secure a truce and the release of dozens of captives held in the Gaza Strip since October 2023 have failed to produce a deal, though indirect talks have resumed recently in Qatar.

The parents' letter said that "everyone" including the Israeli soldiers on the ground "knows... that the war is dragging on without purpose and that the hostages will only be released as part of an agreement".

"We accuse you of abandoning the hostages and the soldiers! We call on you: end the war!"

Hamas officials have previously accused Netanyahu of obstructing negotiations by issuing new demands and introducing roadblocks to ceasefire efforts. Israeli demonstrators, who have taken to the streets in their tens of thousands to demand an end to the war and a captive release deal, have also accused the prime minister of prolonging the conflict.

Some soldiers have been deployed to Gaza for nearly the entirety of the war, which has entered its 16th month.

"The Israeli army has no reason to remain in Gaza, except to fulfil the messianic desires to settle there," the letter said.

Some members of Netanyahu's ruling coalition who represent the far right have called to reestablish Israeli settlements in the Gaza Strip -- illegal under international law.

Since Israel launched a ground invasion of Gaza on October 27, 2023, the military says 399 soldiers have been killed there.

Figures on military casualties have traditionally been withheld from the public by Israel during wartime, with the military releasing higher tolls once conflicts have ended. Some Israeli media reports estimate that "at least 10,000 soldiers" have been killed or wounded while serving in Gaza.

*This story was edited by Ahram Online.