TEL AVIV, November 23. /TASS/. The Israeli military operation in Gaza will last at least two more months after the impending short pause for the release of some hostages, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said at a meeting with a naval commando unit.

"This respite will be short and will be followed by intense military operations. Pressure will be applied to bring back more of the hostages. Two more months of military operations are expected ," the minister was quoted as saying by the Ynet news website.

Galant said the goal of the military operation remains unchanged: the destruction of the entire Hamas organization in the Gaza Strip.

"We plan to eliminate Hamas as a military and governmental organization. From the earliest stages of this operation, it became clear that Hamas understands only force," he added.

The situation in the Middle East sharply escalated following an incursion of Hamas militants from the Gaza Strip into Israel on October 7, accompanied by killings of residents of Israeli settlements near the border and taking more than 200 hostages, including children, women and elderly people. Hamas has cast the attack as a response to Israeli actions against the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. Israel has declared a complete siege of the Gaza Strip and started a military operation there. Israel also strikes parts of Lebanon and Syria in retaliation for bombardments originating from these countries. Clashes are also taking place in the West Bank.

Hamas said on November 22 it had reached an agreement with Israel, which was brokered by Qatar and Egypt, to introduce a humanitarian truce in the Gaza Strip for four days. The group said that the agreement involves the release of 50 women and children under the age of 19 that are held in the enclave in exchange for the release of 150 women and children under the age of 19 from Israeli prisons. The Qatari Foreign Ministry said earlier on Thursday that that the Gaza truce will start at 5:00 a.m. GMT.