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.

Israel believes a third of the remaining hostages are dead, while a number have been previously freed through negotiated deals. However, Yosef and Hamzah Al Zaydani were believed to still be alive and their bodies’ return could ramp up the pressure on Israel to move ahead on a deal.

Israeli troops have recovered the bodies of two hostages, Yosef Al Zaydani and his son Hamzah, from Gaza. Their deaths add pressure on Israel amid ongoing ceasefire talks aimed at freeing remaining hostages.

Gaza's civil defence agency said a series of Israeli air strikes killed at least 14 people on Wednesday, in the latest violence to ravage the already devastated Palestinian territory.

The bodies of Yosef Al Zaydani and his son Hamzah were recovered in an operation, defence minister Israel Katz said.

Israeli military has recovered the body of a hostage, Yosef Al Zaydani, and is examining another. Taken during an October 7 Hamas attack, the recoveries highlight the ongoing hostage crisis in Gaza, where a proposed ceasefire may free remaining captives.

The bodies’ recovery comes as Israel and Hamas are considering a ceasefire deal that would free the hostages and halt the fighting in Gaza.

Israeli soldiers recovered the body of a 53-year-old hostage in an underground tunnel in southern Gaza, the military said Wednesday, and the army was determining if another set of remains belongs to the man’s son.