Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz has said it is “time to exercise all forms of pressure on Hamas” so the group accepts a US-led ceasefire push and releases all Israeli captives, Al Jazeera reports.

“Apart from the military pressure, the political and diplomatic pressure is imperative, which I addressed with the US and other regional states,” he said.

“Hamas leaders must know that in addition to the military cost, they will be forced by global and regional states to pay a higher price if they undermine the proposal currently on the table,” Gantz added.