The Israeli military said Wednesday that its troops 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, Defence Minister Israel Katz had said 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........

© Al Monitor