TEL AVIV, November 6. /TASS/. Hamas may make a deal on the hostages held in the Gaza Strip under pressure from the ground operation, the Jerusalem Post reported, citing an Israeli diplomatic source.

"Initially nothing was seen in that direction," the source said, but now "we [Israeli authorities] see something, it hasn't matured yet."

According to the source, any ceasefire agreement would actually be temporary and more like a pause. It can only happen in exchange for the release of all hostages, with the clear understanding that Israel will continue to "work to defeat Hamas," the newspaper’s source said.

Tensions flared up again in the Middle East on October 7 when militants from the radical Palestinian group Hamas staged a surprise attack on Israeli territory from the Gaza Strip. Hamas described its attack as a response to the aggressive actions of Israeli authorities against the Al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem’s Old City. Israel has announced a total blockade of the Gaza Strip and has been delivering air strikes on Gaza as well as some parts of Lebanon and Syria. Clashes are also underway in the West Bank.