The release of hostages who remain in the Gaza Strip is a priority for Israel so a new ceasefire agreement can be reached, Israeli government spokesman Eilon Levy said.
As reported by RBC with reference to Bloomberg, Levy noted that during the seven-day ceasefire that ended on December 1, Hamas released 110 of the more than 240 people captured by the militants. Now the Israeli authorities are ready to consider the possibility of a new “temporary pause” for the release of all hostages.
According to Tel Aviv, it was Hamas that violated the previous ceasefire agreement. There may still be 20 women, two boys and 115 men in the hands of the militants, but there is no information on whether all of them are alive.
Levy also stressed that the Israeli military seeks to protect the civilian population of the Palestinian enclave, so it always warns them before launching strikes.
Speaking about the next phase of the conflict, he said that there would be fewer airstrikes, but more ground clashes with Hamas units. He also confirmed the plans of the Israeli authorities, according to which Hamas leaders “will be destroyed wherever they are.”
Source: Rosbalt
Mario Twitchell is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his insightful and thought-provoking writing on a wide range of topics including general and opinion. He currently works as a writer at 247 news agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
