The body of a hostage taken from Israel was discovered in an underground tunnel in the Rafah area of the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023, along with evidence raising questions about the condition of another, the Israeli military said on Wednesday. associated captive.
The dead hostage was identified as Yusif Ziyadne from Rahat, an Arab Bedouin town in southern Israel. Ziyadna Bey, who is in her 50s, and three grown childrenHe was abducted from the kibbutz where he worked with two children during the Hamas attack on Israel that ignited the war in Gaza.
Mr. Ziyadne's two children, Bilal and Aisha, were released as teenagers. temporary ceasefire and exchange of hostages for Palestinian prisoners in November 2023.
However, the father and his adult son, Hamza Ziyadne, who was about 22 years old at the time of his abduction, remained in captivity. The Israeli military noted that the same operation that led to the discovery of Yusuf Ziyadne's body “causes serious concern for the life” of Hamza's “retaliations”.
The announcement that one hostage was found dead and the fate of another was uncertain came as families of the hostages and President-elect Donald J. Trump pressured Israel and Hamas to strike a deal that would lead to a ceasefire. fire and the return of the remaining prisoners before Mr. Trump takes office later this month.
Of the 250 hostages taken on October 7, 2023, about 100 are still being held in Gaza, with a third or more of those still believed to be dead.
In a briefing with reporters on Wednesday, Israeli army spokesman Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani said “dozens of hostages” were still alive, but declined to give a specific number.
Speaking on the discovery of Mr. Ziyadne, Colonel Shoshani said bodies believed to be those of his Hamas bodyguards were also found nearby, but he did not say how the hostage or the others were killed. He also did not elaborate on the military's findings, which he said raised concerns about the fate of his son, Hamza Ziyadne.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog said in a statement that “our hearts ache over the great tragedy of the Ziyadne family.” He added: “Time is running out. Joseph was kidnapped alive! Our hostages are in immediate mortal danger. We must continue to do everything possible for the urgent return of our 99 brothers and sisters to their families, and for the dignified burial of those who died and those who were killed.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been accused by some Israelis of not making the return of the hostages a priority, expressed “deep sorrow at the sad news” for Ziyadne's family on Wednesday. He also pledged to “continue to make every effort to ensure the repatriation of all hostages – both the living and the dead.”
About 300,000 Bedouins live in Israel's southern Negev desert region, and in addition to Ziyadne's family, other members of the community were killed or taken hostage in the October 7, 2023, attacks. Bedouin Samer Talalka was one of the three hostages mistakenly killed by Israeli forces In December 2023. In August last year, the Israeli army Farhan brought al-Qadi home alivea Bedouin from the village near Rahat, where Mr. Ziyadne's family lives.
Bedouins are a marginalized minority in Israel with high unemployment rates poverty is rampant in their villages, which have long suffered from a lack of basic services, including water and electricity. Some Bedouins who are Arab and Muslim choose to serve in the Israeli army or work in kibbutzim or for other Israeli Jews, and are sometimes seen as traitors by their countrymen.
Mr. Al-Qadi worked as an unarmed security guard at a kibbutz in southern Israel while he was being held hostage. Ziyadneh Bey was working on a dairy farm in a nearby kibbutz with his two sons, while Aisha was visiting her father and brothers at work, all of whom were captured.
President Biden and top aides have been working for months to negotiate a cease-fire and the release of the remaining hostages, and on several occasions a deal appeared imminent, only to fall apart after Biden administration officials said Hamas negotiators. Israeli officials have also repeatedly objected to parts of the proposed agreements.
Relatives of the prisoners claim that they do not have time to wait, and many are trying to reach an agreement on the ceasefire immediately. The Hostage Families Forum, which represents the relatives of the captives, expressed its sadness over Yusif Ziyadne's death and reiterated the urgent calls it made many times before.
“Each day in captivity poses a mortal threat to the hostages who managed to survive for 15 months and threatens the possibility of the deceased being returned for burial,” the forum said.
Jonathan Reiss contributed to the report.