The family of Gilad Shalit responded Sunday to emergency lawsuits filed against the plan to release more than 1,000 terrorists, hundreds of them murderers, in exchange for their son. Parents Noam and Aviva called on the Supreme Court not to intervene.

Even a temporary delay could be deadly, the parents argued through their attorney.

“In the reality we live in here in the Middle East, any delay, postponement or change to the agreement is likely to lead to its cancelation, and to put our son Gilad’s life at risk,” they said. “This is clearly a matter of life and death.”

The two emphasized their sympathy for the survivors of terrorism who have filed suit. “[Our objection] does not mean, in any way, that the Shalit family does not identify with the pain of those families that lost sons and daughters to terrorism, or that we do not respect their arguments,” they told the court.

The Supreme Court is to rule on at least three lawsuits filed against the mass release of terrorist prisoners. The suits will be heard together on Monday morning.

Justices Dorit Beinisch, Eliezer Rivlin, and Hanan Meltzer will hear the appeals.