The Israeli military said the body of the Bedouin hostage was recovered from Gaza

The Israeli military says its troops have found the body of a Bedouin Arab held by Hamas in Gaza, along with evidence that another man may also be dead.

The body of 53-year-old Yusef Ziadna was recovered from an underground tunnel in the southern Rafah district on Tuesday.

The military also made what the military described as “findings … of grave concern” regarding the life of his son, Hamza, 22, who was also abducted by Hamas gunmen during an attack in southern Israel on October 7, 2023.

Two of Hamza’s siblings, Aisha and Bilal, were captured alongside them near the Israel-Gaza perimeter fence that day. But they were among 105 hostages released during a week-long ceasefire in November that year.

The news of Youssef Zidna came shortly before US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken told reporters that US, Qatari and Egyptian mediators were “very close” to a new ceasefire and hostage release agreement between Israel and Hamas.

“I hope we can get through this in the time we have,” he said, referring to the Jan. 20 inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump.

Israel launched a campaign to destroy Hamas in response to an attack on October 7, 2023, which killed around 1,200 people and took 251 hostages. Israel says 95 hostages remain in Gaza, 34 of whom are presumed dead.

More than 45,930 people have been killed in Gaza during the 15-month war, according to the Hamas-ruled territory’s health ministry.