 At the start of the incursion, Israel said the operation could end if Shalit was released but noted that it had exhausted all the diplomatic means towards this end that it considered tenable.Egypt acted as a mediator over Shalit's release, and on 15 August, a senior Hamas official said it would not release Shalit except in exchange for the release of thousands of Palestinians detained by Israel.Operation Summer Rains was followed by Operation "Autumn Clouds", launched on November 1.