Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak says the only way to return the Israeli captives being held in Gaza is to end the war.

According to Israel’s Channel 12, a senior Israeli official has said that discussions regarding an exchange deal with the Palestinian resistance groups have reached a dead end. The official claimed that Israel has no choice but to continue military pressure to release the detainees.

However, Barak disagreed. He also described Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a “failure” who is causing strategic ruin for Israel and called for his removal from power by all means.

Barak’s comment comes as the families of Israeli prisoners held in Gaza continue to put pressure on the far-right cabinet to conclude a deal that guarantees their release.