Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant offered his support for a hostage release agreement in the first phase of a Gaza truce deal, saying it would give Israel a “strategic opportunity” to address other security challenges, AFP reports.

Bringing the hostages home is “the right thing to do”, Gallant told foreign journalists. “Achieving an agreement is also a strategic opportunity that gives us a high chance to change the security situation on all fronts,” he said.

“Israel should achieve an agreement that will bring about a pause for six weeks and bring back hostages,” Gallant told journalists at a sit-down on Monday at his office. His remarks were released for publication on Tuesday.

Gallant also said Hamas’s military capabilities had been severely damaged after more than 11 months of conflict and that it no longer existed as a military formation in Gaza.

“Hamas as a military formation no longer exists. Hamas is engaged in guerrilla warfare and we are still fighting Hamas terrorists and pursuing Hamas leadership,” he said.