The IDF on Wednesday evening confirmed the recovery of the body of a Bedouin father and possibly his son from the Negev city of Rahat, found in an underground tunnel in the southern Gaza city of Rafah.
Body of Hostage Youssef Ziyadne Retrieved from Gaza
The discovery was made in an area where the IDF had previously conducted operations; forces returned due to new intelligence indicating the possible presence of hostages.
“On behalf of myself and my wife, I would like to express deep sorrow for the bitter news that the Al-Ziyadne family received today,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement following the announcement.
“We hoped and worked for the safe return of the four members of the family from Hamas captivity. We returned the children Bilal and Aisha on November 23, and we wanted to return Yousef and Hamza in the same way.
“I send my deepest condolences to the family. I thank the IDF and Shin Bet forces for their determined activity to return our hostages,” Netanyahu said. “We will continue to make every effort to return all of our hostages home – both the living and the fallen.”
Defense Minister Israel Katz was first to issue a statement within minutes following the announcement, saying the pain of the family of Youssef and Hamza Ziyadne is “the pain of us all.”
Israel Defense Forces and Shin Bet intelligence agents returned the bodies of the two men to Israeli territory on Tuesday, according to a joint statement.
Youssef, 53 and his son Hamza, 22, were abducted by Hamas terrorists from Kibbutz Holit together with Hamza’s sisters Bilal, 18, and Aisha, 17, during the October 7, 2023, invasion of southern Israel from Gaza.
Youssef, Hamza and Bilal were working at the kibbutz when the attack began; Aisha had joined them for the day.
It was previously believed until this point that both men were alive, and this discovery has cast a long shadow on the question of just how many Hamas hostages are actually still alive in Gaza.
“Youssef Ziyadne was killed in captivity,” the IDF said, but did not specify when the murder took place, nor any information indicating the fate of Hamza Ziyadne.
Also found at the site were the bodies of the terrorists who had been guarding the two men. The circumstances of the deaths of those at the site are still not clear.
The IDF said Israeli forces located “findings” that caused “grave concerns” for Hamza’s life, in the same tunnel where Youssef’s body was recovered.
The family told Israeli media they were told that father and son were held captive together, and their bodies were found together.
“We were informed that the bodies of Yousef and his son Hamza were found. Our hearts ache. We wanted them to return to the bosom of the family alive – but unfortunately they returned dead,” said Youssef’s brother Ali Ziyadne. “Aisha and her brother Bilal were waiting to hug them. This is a difficult and shocking disaster.”
The IDF has not yet confirmed the death of Hamza Ziyadne.
“Following an identification process conducted by the National Institute of Forensic Medicine and the Israel Police; the Abductees’ Effort in the Human Resources Division, which is responsible for accompanying the families of the abductees, delivered the message to the family,” the IDF said.
“The IDF and Shin Bet share the family’s grief at this difficult time. The IDF and security forces are making every effort to return all the abductees as quickly as possible.”
Bilal and Aisha were released by Hamas on November 30, 2023, in exchange for terrorists incarcerated in Israel.
“We thank the heroic IDF soldiers who work day and night for the return of our loved ones, many of whom paid with their lives for this cause,” the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said.
Defense Minister Israel Katz said the family’s pain is that of all Israelis.
Katz expressed his condolences to the Ziyadne family and said that during his tenure as foreign minister, he had “accompanied the brave family in difficult moments.”
The minister added that he became “especially close” to Ali, Youssef’s brother and Hamza’s uncle, saying that he had “accompanied me on many of my trips and political meetings and told the story of Youssef and Hamza to many leaders.”
Katz said Israel is continuing to do “everything to fulfill our supreme moral obligation” – the return of all the abductees, living and deceased, to the land of Israel.
“The pain of the Ziyadne family is the pain of all of us, and the memory of Youssef and Hamza will not be forgotten,” Katz pledged. “May their memory be blessed.”
