TEL AVIV, August 21. /ITAR-TASS/. Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon on Thursday asked for the government’s permission to call up 10,000 reservists.

The reservists will be called up to take part in combat operations and serve in rear-echelon units, Israel’s oldest daily newspaper Haaretz writes.

On Wednesday, August 20, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Operation Protective Edge, started on July 8, was not yet over. “In recent weeks we’ve dealt Hamas a harsh blow...,” he said and reiterated Israel’s determination to eliminate Hamas and its terrorist infrastructure.

On August 19, Israel and Palestine agreed to a ceasefire to allow Israeli and Hamas officials to continue their talks on a long-term truce. The talks were interrupted after three missiles had been fired at the towns of Beersheba and Netivot from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. Israel immediately returned fire at targets in Gaza and recalled its delegation from Cairo.