Israeli military confirms: hostages dead in Gaza tunnel, concerns about second person

Israeli military confirms: hostages dead in Gaza tunnel, concerns about second person

The Israeli army announced on Wednesday that it had recovered the body of a hostage-taking victim from a tunnel in southern Gaza. Yousef Al-Ziyadnah, 53, was killed during the Hamas attack Israel kidnapped and found dead in the Rafah tunnel area on October 7, 2023, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said.

Details about the kidnapping case

The IDF reported that Al-Ziyadnah was "killed in captivity" and confirmed that the bodies of at least two Hamas militants were discovered nearby. His body was found along with clues that are currently being investigated by the IDF. These indications raise “serious concerns” for the life of his son, Hamza Al-Ziyadnah, 23, who is also being held hostage. No further information was provided about the clues found.

Al-Ziyadnah family and their situation

Nadav Shoshani, the IDF's international spokesman, said: "We are currently investigating the circumstances" of the death. The Al-Ziyadnah family belongs to the Bedouin Muslim Arab community in the Negev Desert in southern Israel. Al-Ziyadnah and three of his children - Hamza, Bilal and Aysha - were kidnapped from Kibbutz Holit in southwest Israel, where they worked. Bilal and Aysha were among dozens of hostages returned under a temporary ceasefire in November 2023.

Current status of hostage taking

Hamza's whereabouts remain unknown. Israeli authorities believe there are currently 99 hostages held in the Gaza Strip, most of whom were kidnapped during Hamas' cross-border attacks on October 7, 2023, in which more than 1,200 people were killed and 250 taken hostage. Of the remaining hostages held in Gaza, many of them are believed to be dead.

Impressions and reactions

Al-Ziyadnah had worked on the dairy farm at Kibbutz Holit for 17 years before he was kidnapped. According to a statement from the Forum of Families of Hostages, he was "a person of dialogue and human connection, a pillar of strength for his family and an influential figure in his community." Israeli President Isaac Herzog said the Al-Ziyadnah family had received "the devastating news" and felt "deep fear for Hamza's fate."

Urgent appeal for the return of the hostages

"Time is running out. Yousef has been taken alive! Our hostages are in imminent mortal danger. We must do everything we can to urgently return 99 of our brothers and sisters - the living to their families and the fallen to rest in dignity," Herzog said in a statement on Wednesday. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also expressed his “deep regret” and vowed to continue “making every effort to bring back all of our hostages, the living and the deceased.”