TEL AVIV, November 28. /TASS/. The radical Palestinian movement Hamas says it is ready to discuss the conditions for the release of Israeli servicemen captured during combat operations, the Jerusalem Post reported, posting the group’s statement.

According to it, the issue was not included in the negotiations on a temporary ceasefire, and the conditions for the release of servicemen would be different from those for civilians. This would be an important move by Hamas, as the international community is more focused on the release of civilian hostages than Israeli servicemen, the newspaper added.

Tensions flared up again in the Middle East on October 7 when Hamas militants staged a surprise attack on Israeli territory from the Gaza Strip, killing residents of Israeli border settlements and taking over 200 hostages, including women, children and the elderly. 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.

On November 22, the radical Palestinian movement Hamas announced that, with the help of Egypt and Qatar, it had reached a four-day agreement with Israel on a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza. The agreement calls for the release of 50 women, children, and teenagers under the age of 19 held in the enclave in exchange for 150 women, children, and teenagers under the age of 19 from Israeli prisons. The four-day ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel came into effect in Gaza on Friday at 7:00 a.m. local time (5:00 a.m. GMT); the first group of hostages was released on the same day.