US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has discussed ways to secure the release of Gaza hostages with moderates in the Israeli war cabinet a day after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected Hamas’ demands.

Blinken met in Tel Aviv with Benny Gantz and Gabi Eisenkot, two former military chiefs who joined Netanyahu’s war cabinet after the October 7 attack in Israel by Hamas fighters.

The talks will focus on “the hostages and the strong desire that we both have to see them returned to their families, the work that’s being done to that end,” Blinken said as they opened the meeting.

“The most urgent issue is of course to find ways to bring back the hostages,” Gantz told Blinken. “That being done, many things can be achieved,” he said.

Blinken has shuttled around the Middle East on his fifth visit since the escalation between Israel and Hamas started, and brought to Israel a response via Qatar from Hamas to a hostage deal.