The Israeli army mentioned on Wednesday that it had found the physique of a hostage taken from Israel on Oct. 7, 2023 in an underground tunnel within the space of Rafah within the Gaza Strip, together with proof that raises questions concerning the state of one other, associated captive.
The deceased hostage was recognized as Youssef Ziyadne of Rahat, an Arab Bedouin metropolis in southern Israel. Mr. Ziyadne, who was in his 50s, and three of his grown children, had been kidnapped from a kibbutz the place he and two of the kids had been working through the Hamas-led assault on Israel that ignited the battle in Gaza.
Two of Mr. Ziyadne’s youngsters, Bilal and Aisha, each of their late teenagers, had been launched throughout a temporary truce and exchange of hostages for Palestinian prisoners in November 2023.
However the father and his grownup son, Hamza Ziyadne, about 22 on the time of his abduction, remained in captivity. The Israeli army famous that the identical operation that led to the invention of Youssef Ziyadne’s physique additionally revealed “findings” associated to Hamza, “which increase severe issues for his life.”
The announcement {that a} hostage had been discovered useless, and that the destiny of one other is unsure, got here because the households of captives and President-elect Donald J. Trump have been pressuring Israel and Hamas to shut a deal that might result in a cease-fire and the return of the remaining captives before Mr. Trump takes office later this month.
Of the 250 hostages taken on Oct. 7, 2023, about 100 stay held in Gaza, with a 3rd or extra of these nonetheless there presumed useless.
In a briefing with reporters on Wednesday, Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, an Israeli army spokesman, mentioned “dozens of hostages” are nonetheless alive however declined to offer a selected quantity.
Addressing the invention of Mr. Ziyadne, Colonel Shoshani mentioned that our bodies presumed to belong to his Hamas guards had additionally been discovered close by, however he didn’t point out how the hostage or the others had been killed. He additionally didn’t element the findings that the army mentioned had raised issues concerning the destiny of Hamza Ziyadne, the son.
“Our hearts ache over the immense tragedy of the Ziyadne household,” Isaac Herzog, Israel’s president, mentioned in a press release. He added, “Time is operating out. Youssef was kidnapped alive! Our hostages are in speedy life-threatening hazard. We should proceed to do every thing attainable to urgently return 99 of our brothers and sisters — the dwelling to their households and the fallen and murdered to be laid to relaxation in dignity.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been accused by some Israelis of failing to prioritize the return of the hostages, on Wednesday expressed “deep sorrow over the bitter information” for the Ziyadne household. He additionally pledged to “proceed making each effort to safe the discharge of all hostages again house — each the dwelling and the useless.”
There are about 300,000 Bedouin within the Negev desert space of southern Israel, and different members of the group, along with the Ziyadne household, had been killed or taken hostage within the Oct. 7, 2023 assaults. Samer Talalka, a Bedouin, was one in all three hostages mistakenly killed by Israeli forces in December 2023. In August of final 12 months, the Israeli army brought home alive Farhan al-Qadi, a Bedouin from a village close to Rahat, the place Mr. Ziyadne’s household lives.
The Bedouin are a marginalized minority in Israel, with unemployment excessive and poverty rampant of their villages, which have lengthy suffered from a scarcity of fundamental providers, together with operating water and electrical energy. Some Bedouin, who’re Arab and Muslim, select to serve within the Israeli army or work on kibbutzim or for different Israeli Jews, and are typically seen as traitors by fellow Arabs.
Mr. al-Qadi had labored as an unarmed guard on a kibbutz in southern Israel when he was taken hostage. Mr. Ziyadne and the 2 sons had been engaged on a dairy farm at a close-by kibbutz, and Aisha was visiting her father and brothers at work, once they had been all taken captive.
President Biden and high aides have been working for a lot of months to barter the discharge of the remaining hostages and to safe a cease-fire, and a deal has appeared imminent a number of occasions, solely to crumble after what Biden administration officers have mentioned had been rejections by Hamas negotiators. Israeli officers have additionally repeatedly objected to some elements of proposed offers.
Family members of the captives argue that there is no such thing as a time to attend, and plenty of have pushed for a right away cease-fire deal. In a press release expressing sorrow over the dying of Youssef Ziyadne, the Hostages Households Discussion board, which represents family members of the captives, repeated a name for urgency it has made many occasions earlier than.
“Each day in captivity poses a right away mortal hazard to the hostages who’ve managed to outlive for 15 months, and threatens the potential of returning the deceased for burial,” the discussion board mentioned.
Johnatan Reiss contributed reporting.
