Israel’s defence minister has vowed during a visit to Washington to work to bring back hostages from Gaza and urged close cooperation with the United States after strains in the relationship, AFP reports.

“I would like to emphasise that it is Israel’s primary commitment to return the hostages, with no exception, to their families and homes,” Gallant said before starting his meetings.

“We will continue to make every possible effort to bring them home,” he said.

“The alliance between Israel and the United States, led by the US over many years, is extremely important,” Gallant said.

Other than Israel’s own military, “our ties with the US are the most important element for our future from a security perspective,” he said.