The bodies of two Israeli hostages have been recovered by troops in Gaza, Israel’s defence minister has said.
Israel Katz said the bodies of Yosef Al Zaydani and his son Hamzah were recovered in an operation, without disclosing further details.
The men were taken captive during Hamas’s attack on 7 October 2023.
The return of the two bodies comes as Israel and Hamas are considering a ceasefire deal that would free the remaining 100 or so hostages and halt the fighting in the besieged enclave.
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.
The news came as fresh Israeli airstrikes killed at least five people in the Gaza Strip, including two infants and a woman, Palestinian medics said.
One strike hit a home in the central city of Deir al-Balah, killing two men and a woman, according to Shuhada al-Aqsa Hospital, which received the casualties.
The hospital said it also received a four-month-old boy who was killed in a strike on his family house in the nearby built-up Bureij refugee camp.
In Gaza City, an airstrike hit a home in the Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood, killing a three-week-old baby, according to the Health Ministry’s emergency service.
Israel’s military says it only targets militants, who they say are hiding among civilians.
Several rounds of talks mediated by the US, Egypt and Qatar have failed to produce a lasting ceasefire, despite the parties expressing repeated optimism about procuring a deal.
The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on October 7 2023, killing some 1,200 people and abducting around 250.
Israel’s air and ground offensive has killed more than 45,800 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
It does not say how many were fighters but says women and children make up over half the fatalities.
The Israeli military says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence.
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