Israel is seeking a ceasefire agreement with Hamas to secure the release of its hostages before resuming military operations in the Gaza Strip, Ezzat al-Rishq, a member of Hamas' political bureau, said on Monday, Paralel.Az reports citing Xinhua.

In a statement sent to Xinhua, al-Rishq said that Israel wanted "a temporary agreement to release its prisoners, in order to resume war and extermination thereafter."

Noting that the attempts by Israel to release its hostages "by force have failed," the Hamas official stressed that "there is no alternative to a real deal with the resistance."

He emphasized that a permanent cessation of firing is the only guarantee to protect the Palestinian people "and to stop the bloodshed and massacres," adding that Hamas adheres to its position represented by the complete withdrawal of the Israeli army and the return of displaced persons to their homes freely.