Speaking to reporters, Yoav Gallant said that conditions are ripe for at least a six-week pause in fighting that would include the release of many of the captives held in Gaza. However, he would not commit to a permanent end to the fighting, as Hamas has demanded, raising questions about the feasibility of a deal.

“Israel should achieve an agreement that will bring about a pause for six weeks,” he said. After that period, he said, “we maintain the right to operate and achieve our goals — including the destruction of Hamas.”

The United States, along with mediators Egypt and Qatar, has been working for months to broker a cease-fire to end the devastating war. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has raised a new sticking point in recent weeks, saying that Israel must remain stationed in a strategic corridor along Gaza’s border with Egypt indefinitely.

Gallant has been quoted in Israeli media as saying that Israel could withdraw from the corridor for six weeks — to allow captives to go free without risking Israel’s security. The two men reportedly got into a heated shouting match at a recent Cabinet meeting where ministers overwhelmingly sided with Netanyahu.

During Monday’s meeting with foreign journalists, Gallant was asked about his relationship with the prime minister.

“As defense minister, my first priority is the state of Israel and those who protect her, and then everything else,” he said.

The current US-led proposal calls for a three-phase plan, beginning with a six-week pause in fighting during which Hamas would release some of the roughly 70 captives who are still believed to be alive and held by the militants.

In exchange, Israel would free dozens of Palestinian prisoners, withdraw troops from Palestinian population centers, allow displaced Gazans to return to their original place of residence and facilitate the influx of large amounts of badly needed humanitarian aid.

Gallant cast doubt about whether the deal’s second phase — which is to include the release of the remaining captives and a complete halt to the fighting — could be implemented.

He said repeatedly that Israel remains committed to its “war goals” — bringing home all captives, destroying Hamas’ military and governing capabilities, and making sure the group can never threaten Israel again.

With Hamas repeatedly regrouping in areas of Gaza that Israeli troops have left, and with no plan for an alternative postwar government, it remains unclear when or if these goals can be fully achieved.

Gallant said he believed a truce with Hamas could also lower tensions with Hezbollah and allow displaced Israelis to return to their homes in northern Israel, near the Lebanese border.

Hezbollah began striking Israel immediately after Oct. 7. Israel and Hezbollah have exchanged cross-border fire daily, coming close on several occasions to a full-blown war. The fighting has forced tens of thousands of Israelis and Lebanese to flee their homes near the volatile border.

“Achieving an agreement is also a strategic opportunity that gives us a high chance to change the security situation on all fronts,” Gallant said.

International mediators have been working on a bridging proposal that they hope could meet the demands of all sides. President Joe Biden said last week he was “optimistic” that a deal was within reach.

At home, the Israeli government faces significant domestic pressure to reach a deal as well, particularly after the deaths of six captives.

Gallant described the current situation as a “strategic junction” — where Israel can reach a deal with its adversaries or risk fighting a broader war that could draw in Hezbollah and its sponsor Iran.

Gallant said he prefers a deal, but that Israel is ready for all scenarios. “We are capable of defending ourselves and we can also retaliate if necessary,” he said. “We have the ability to hit any strategic goal in Iran.”

Israel's war on Gaza has forced hundreds of thousands of people into squalid tent camps and schools-turned-shelters, gutted the health system and contributed to widespread famine. 

Israel's war on Gaza has also killed 41,020 people, mostly women and children. 

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