Israel army says body of hostage retrieved from Gaza

The Israeli military said on Wednesday that its troops had recovered the body of a hostage in Gaza and brought it back to Israel following a "complex and difficult operation."

The body of Bedouin Arab hostage Youssef al-Zayadna was found as international mediators Qatar, Egypt and the United States kept up a push for a ceasefire and hostage release deal.

"The troops located and recovered the body of hostage Youssef al-Zayadna from an underground tunnel in the Rafah area of the Gaza Strip and returned his body to Israel," the Israeli military said in a statement.

Earlier on Wednesday, Defense Minister Israel Katz had announced that the remains of Zayadna's son, Hamza, had also been brought to Israel.

The military clarified that the son's body had not been recovered, although "findings were located related to Hamza... which raise serious concerns for his life."

Military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani said in an online briefing that troops carried out what he described as a "complex and difficult special operation" to retrieve the body.

The father's body was "brought to Israel for an identification process, after which we confirmed his identity and notified his family. We are currently investigating the circumstances of his death," Shoshani said.

The Arab Bedouin father and son were seized by Palestinian militants from Kibbutz Holit near the Gaza border during the Hamas attack of Oct. 7, 2023.

Kidnapped with them were Hamza's sister and brother, who were released during a week-long truce in November 2023. 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to "make every effort to bring all our captives home -- both the living and the fallen."

Netanyahu's critics have accused him of blocking a negotiated deal for their release, while he has blamed Hamas for not accepting his conditions.

Campaign group, the Hostage and Missing Families Forum, called for a deal to be struck as quickly as possible.

"The emerging agreement comes far too late for Youssef, who was taken alive and should have returned the same way," the forum said in a statement.

"Every day in captivity poses an immediate mortal danger to the hostages who have managed to survive for 15 months, and threatens the possibility of returning the deceased for burial."