Remains of Ziyadne, 53, brought back to Israel, along with findings linked to his son Hamza, 22; troops located the body in tunnel in Rafah, in area where IDF previously operated
The body of hostage Youssef Ziyadne, 53, who was abducted by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023, was recovered by the Israeli military from a tunnel in the southern Gaza Strip on Tuesday night, the Israel Defense Forces announced on Wednesday.
Members of Ziyadne’s family said that the military had informed them that the body of his son, Hamza Ziyadne, 22, was also recovered from Gaza, though the IDF said that this was not yet confirmed.
Youssef was abducted by Hamas terrorists during the October 7, 2023, onslaught, along with three of his children, Hamza, Bilal, 18, and Aisha, 17, while working in Kibbutz Holit near the Gaza border.
Bilal and Aisha were released on November 30, 2023, after more than 50 days in Hamas captivity.
Until Tuesday, Youssef and Hamza were presumed alive.
The IDF in a statement said that Ziyadne’s body was found in a tunnel in southern Gaza’s Rafah, and was brought back to Israel for identification. Following the identification process, his family was notified.
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