Efforts were underway to secure the release this week of a larger number of Israeli hostages held in Gaza than is provided for in the truce deal between Israel and Hamas, Israeli and Palestinian sources said Tuesday.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin "Netanyahu is making tremendous efforts" to release six living hostages and the bodies of four others this week, an Israeli official source told AFP. A Palestinian source close to the negotiations said mediators were making "efforts" to ensure "the bodies of several Israeli prisoners (be delivered) before Friday" and to increase the number of living hostages to be released on Saturday.