The families denounced Netanyahu’s plan to expand military operations. Yehuda Cohen, the father of Nimrod Cohen, an Israeli soldier held hostage in Gaza, said from the boat that Netanyahu is prolonging the war to satisfy extremists in his government and to prevent it from collapsing.

The Israeli security cabinet is to discuss the proposal on Thursday. Critics say that extending the offensive would endanger the lives of Israeli hostages and kill more Palestinian civilians.

Most Israeli Jews thought their country was waging a just war. But since mid-July, mainstream news bulletins that had shunned pictures of suffering in Gaza have begun showing footage of the emaciated and cast doubt on the morality of the cause.

The commandment of bal taschit prohibits wasteful destruction and is especially relevant in military conflict because in the fog of war humans can feel justified in destroying anything in their paths.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is considering ordering the full reoccupation of the Gaza Strip, according to Israeli media