TEL AVIV, February 27. /TASS/. Israel will not allow the radical Palestinian movement Hamas to retain any form of military or civilian control over the Gaza Strip, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said.

"[Hamas] will not remain in control of Gaza, neither civilly nor militarily. This will not happen because it cannot happen," The Times of Israel quoted Katz as saying.

He added that the first phase of the ceasefire deal in the Gaza Strip has been completed. Israel was able to bring back 25 hostages alive, as well as the bodies of eight dead, but the country's leadership is committed to securing the release of all of them. "The most effective way to ensure this is for Hamas to know that the IDF is ready to return to war. That is the truth," Katz added.

The defense minister also pointed out that Israel agreed to the Gaza ceasefire primarily for the sake of the return of the hostages, and rejected suggestions that it was due to "a shortage of ammunition or soldier fatigue."

On January 15, it was announced that Israel and Hamas had reached an agreement on the release of hostages held in Gaza and the establishment of a ceasefire in the enclave. The three-stage agreement went into effect on January 19. On the night of February 27, the last exchange of the first phase of the agreement took place, which will last 42 days, until March 1.

Dmitry Gendelman, an adviser to the Prime Minister's Office, said earlier that "there are currently 59 hostages in Hamas captivity, both alive and dead at the hands of terrorists."