Tel Aviv, Nov 26 (IANS): In a long letter to troops, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi said the military will return to fighting Hamas "with determination" once the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip ends, the media reported.

"The IDF and its soldiers fight fiercely to protect the lives of our people while upholding the values of the IDF. We created conditions for the framework of the release of the first group of hostage children and mothers (that is taking place) during this pause" in the fighting, Halevi added.

"When the framework is completed, we will return to our operations with determination, for the continued release of the hostages and the complete dismantlement of Hamas," he said as quoted by the Times of Israel report.

"I met many of you at the end of long hours of fighting both above and underground, facing complex challenges. In every encounter, I saw reflected in your eyes the magnitude of the moment, the fighting spirit and determination to achieve all the objectives of the war," Halevi added.

"I heard you tell me: 'We want to fight until we return the hostages.' And so we are doing just that!"