The Israeli military said Wednesday that troops have recovered the body of a hostage held in Gaza and were examining whether another body recovered was also that of a captive.
Earlier, Israel's defense minister said that troops recovered the bodies of two hostages.
The military said the body of Yosef Al Zaydani was brought to Israel on Tuesday after being discovered in an underground tunnel near the southern Gaza city of Rafah. It said troops uncovered information about Al Zaydani's son Hamzah that "raised serious concerns for his life."
Military spokesman Col. Nadav Shoshani said the military was looking into the identity of a second set of remains recovered.
Al Zaydani and his son were taken captive during Hamas’ attack on Oct. 7, 2023, among 250 hostages snatched by the group during its cross-border raid.
Israel believes a third of the remaining 100 hostages are dead.
The body's recovery comes as Israel and Hamas are considering a ceasefire deal that would free the hostages and halt the fighting in Gaza.
However, Yosef and Hamzah Al Zaydani were believed to still be alive and their return could ramp up the pressure on Israel to move ahead on a deal.
Yosef Al Zaydani's name was on a list of 34 hostages shared by a Hamas official with The Associated Press that the group said were slated for release.
Many families of hostages say the continuation of the war in Gaza puts the lives of the remaining hostages at risk. They have demanded throughout the conflict that Israel reaches a deal with Hamas to free their loved ones.
