Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar and opposition figure Benny Gantz have urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to secure the release of the captives held in Gaza during his visit to the United States, according to Al Jazeera.

In a post on X in Hebrew, Saar said Netanyahu “must ignore political pressures” and work to “achieve a framework for the release of hostages, which reflects the will of the majority in the government and the people and aligns with the national interest”.

Gantz, the leader of the opposition Blue and White alliance and a former member of Israel’s war cabinet, posted on X that Netanyahu should not return home “until there is a plan to bring back all the hostages”, Al Jazeera said.

“Stay to press in Washington, fly to Doha — the opportunity must not be missed,” he said. “You have the support of the people, and you will also have political backing.”