NEW YORK, November 30. /TASS/. Israel’s authorities are ready to extend a ceasefire agreement every time the Palestinian radical group Hamas is ready to release another 10 hostages held in the Gaza Strip, Mark Regev, a senior adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, told CNN.
"Every day, we agreed to an extension for the release of 10 hostages, 10 living hostages," he said. "If Hamas continues to release hostages, 10 a day, we will extend [the truce]," the official stressed. "If Hamas fails to meet the conditions of the extension, which is to release 10 Israelis, then of course the fighting can be resumed," Regev stressed.
According to his estimates, at least 140 hostages currently remain in the Gaza Strip. That said, the official stressed that "Israel is determined to destroy Hamas' military machine and its rule over Gaza."
On November 22, Hamas reported reaching an agreement with Israel, mediated by Qatar and Egypt, on a humanitarian truce in the Gaza Strip that came into effect on November 24. The agreements envisaged the release of 50 women, children and teenagers held in the enclave in exchange for the release of 150 women, children and teenagers from Israeli prisons. On November 27, the sides extended the agreement by two days on the same terms, that is, three Palestinian prisoners would be released in exchange for every Israeli hostage freed by the Hamas movement. On Thursday morning, the parties to the agreement announced its extension for one more day.