The Israel Defense Forces stated that they recovered the body of one of the hostages captured by Hamas on October 7, 2023. The hostage, identified as Youssef Ziyadine, was found dead in a tunnel in southern Gaza's Rafah. Evidence suggests that his son may also have been killed.
IDF Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani said the hostage's death does not appear to have been recent. He added that the military is also probing the whereabouts of his 22-year-old son, Hamza Ziyadine.
Who was Youssef Ziyadine?
Youssef Ziyadine, 53, was an Israeli Bedouin who was abducted along with three of his children while they were working in Kibbutz Holit near Gaza border. Both Ziyadine and his son Hamza were thought to be alive until Tuesday.
Yesterday, the IDF and ISA located and recovered the body of the hostage Youssef Ziyadne from an underground tunnel in the area of Rafah in Gaza, and returned his body to Israel.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) January 8, 2025
Youssef, 53, was the father of 19 children and lived in Rahat. Youssef was abducted on Oct. 7, 2023… pic.twitter.com/0WK6kl80Ks
Two of the children, Bilal, 18, and Aisha, 17, were released in exchange of Palestinian prisoners on November 30, 2023.
Ziyadine's body was found alongside bodies of armed guards belonging to Hamas or another militant group. The IDF had reportedly operated in the area where the tunnel is located and returned to the place after receiving fresh information.
Around 94 hostages are believed to be in Hamas captivity currently. These include 34 people who have been confirmed dead by the IDF. Hamas also have two Israelis who were captured in 2014 and 2015. Bodies of two IDF soldiers is also reportedly in Gaza.
At total of 105 civilians have been released so far while eight were rescued alive by IDF. The military has also recovered bodies of 40 hostages.
