The Israeli military said that it had retrieved the body of a hostage who had been held in the Gaza Strip, as the Biden administration struggles to secure a cease-fire deal that would bring home dozens of hostages.

Israel has vowed to catch the perpetrators after gunmen killed three people and wounded seven others in an attack on a bus carrying Israelis in the West Bank. It comes as outgoing U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says he maintains hope that a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas could be reached in the near future.

Gaza Israel and Hamas are inching closer to a deal to pause their 15-month war in Gaza and enact a hostages-for-prisoners swap, sources with direct knowledge of the negotiations told The National on Wednesday.

The two sides have agreed on a list of prisoners Israel will release. However, Israel says it's waiting for a list of surviving hostages from Hamas.