Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu has said a cease-fire arrangement with Islamist Hamas to trade citizens was the correct move.
He stated this at a press conference in Tel Aviv, stressing that the battle will continue even after the agreement to exchange Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners is implemented.
Netanyahu stressed that the fighting will continue until Israel has achieved all of its objectives.
Up to 100 Israeli hostages could be swapped for up to 300 Palestinian inmates in Israeli jails.
Netanyahu described the return of the captives as an ethical duty and stated that every chance would be used to eventually rescue all hostages captured when Hamas militants assaulted Israel on October 7, murdering over 1,200 people.
Israel responded with artillery and a ground offensive, with the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry claiming over 16,000 deaths, however, this figure was later challenged.
According to Hamas, the truce will begin on Thursday at 10 a.m. (0800 GMT).
Netanyahu did not remark on the precise start time, and there was no official word on the time of the citizen swap.
