The Israeli military announced on Wednesday that they had retrieved the body of a hostage from a tunnel in southern Gaza. The victim, Yousef Al-Ziyadnah, 53, was kidnapped during a Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, and was found dead in the Rafah area.
The Israel Defense Forces confirmed that Al-Ziyadnah had been 'killed in captivity' and that the bodies of at least two Hamas operatives were discovered nearby. Al-Ziyadnah's son, Hamza Al-Ziyadnah, 23, who was also held hostage, remains missing.
The Al-Ziyadnah family, part of the Bedouin Muslim-Arab community in southern Israel's Negev desert, has been deeply affected by the tragic events. Yousef Al-Ziyadnah, a respected member of his community, had worked at a dairy farm in Kibbutz Holit for 17 years before being taken hostage.
Israeli authorities believe that there are currently 99 hostages being held in Gaza, with many of them taken during the October 7, 2023, cross-border attacks by Hamas. Tragically, dozens of hostages are feared to be deceased.
The Hostages Families Forum described Yousef Al-Ziyadnah as a man of dialogue and human connection, emphasizing his role as a pillar of strength for his family and community. The family received the devastating news of his death and remains anxious about the fate of Hamza.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed deep sorrow over the situation, pledging to continue efforts to return all hostages, both living and deceased, to their families. The urgency of the situation was highlighted, stressing the immediate need to secure the release of the remaining hostages.
