MOSCOW, November 30. /TASS/. Diplomatic efforts are needed to ensure a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, Egyptian Ambassador to Russia Nazih Nagari told TASS.

"The objective is to reach a ceasefire, and humanitarian aid is part of a larger achievement of diplomacy. Humanitarian aid on its own is not the objective," he pointed out.

The envoy noted that a temporary pause in fighting had made it easier to deliver humanitarian aid to the enclave. "But humanitarian aid is not the only objective. Humanitarian aid is just to alleviate the suffering of the people. But if you deliver humanitarian aid to the people who will get killed the next morning, this is not the objective," he said.

Hamas announced on November 22 that an agreement on a four-day humanitarian ceasefire in the Gaza Strip had been reached through the mediation of Qatar and Egypt. The ceasefire took effect at 7:00 a.m. local time (5:00 a.m. GMT) on November 24. The agreement stipulates the release of women and teenagers under the age of 19 who are held in Gaza in exchange for the release of women and teenagers under the age of 19 from Israeli prisons. On November 27, the parties agreed to extend the ceasefire for another two days on the same terms, with three Palestinian prisoners released in exchange for every Israeli hostage freed from captivity. The agreement was supposed to expire at 7:00 a.m. local time on Thursday. However, the Israel Defense Forces announced the extension of the Gaza ceasefire less than 20 minutes before the expiration of a truce agreement with Hamas.