Share
Human Rights Voices
While the UN devotes its human rights operations to the demonization of the democratic state of Israel above all others and condemns the United States more often than the vast majority of non-democracies around the world, the voices of real victims around the world must be heard.
U.N. Obsession with Condemning
Israel Instead
Hamza Ziyadne (Courtesy)
Palestinian Authority/Gaza, January 10, 2025
IDF confirms death of hostage Hamza Ziyadne, day after father Youssef laid to rest
Original source
The family of Israeli hostage Hamza Ziyadne, 22, who was kidnapped by the Hamas terror group during its October 7, 2023 onslaught, said Friday that they were informed his body had been identified by authorities.
The Israel Defense Forces said its representatives notified Ziyadne’s family of the news Friday morning, following the identification process by a forensic institute. The military recovered the hostage’s remains from a tunnel in southern Gaza’s Rafah on Tuesday night, along with the body of his father Youssef, 53.
“Hamza and Youssef were abducted alive on October 7 and were killed in Hamas captivity. The IDF and Shin Bet share in the family’s grief at this difficult time,” the military said in a statement, adding, “The IDF and the Shin Bet are making every effort to return all the hostages as quickly as possible.”
The 22-year-old father of two was abducted from Kibbutz Holit by Hamas terrorists during the attack 15 months ago, when terrorists invaded southern Israel from Gaza, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostages, amid acts of brutality and sexual assault.
Hamza was kidnapped along with his father Youssef and siblings Bilal, 18, and Aisha, 17. Bilal and Aisha were released on November 30, 2023, during a weeklong truce, after surviving more than 50 days in Hamas captivity.
Following the news of the younger Ziyadne’s identification, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, representing relatives of those abducted during the attack, accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of failing to save the hostage’s life through a deal with Hamas.
“Four members of a family were kidnapped and only two of them returned alive. Youssef and Hamza, who survived a period of hell in captivity in Gaza, could have been saved by an agreement made earlier,” the forum said in a statement.
“We demand of the prime minister and those making decisions: speed up the negotiations, and reach an agreement immediately to return all the hostages. We have a historic window of opportunity, and we can’t lose it. You have a mandate from the people — bring them home.”
It is unclear when Youssef and Hamza died. The Walla news site, citing experts with knowledge of the matter, said it is believed the two were killed around a year ago.
The IDF located the remains of the two in a tunnel in southern Gaza’s Rafah on Tuesday night, alongside the remains of at least two Hamas operatives the IDF believes were guarding them.
The tunnel in Rafah was located in an area where the military had operated before, according to IDF sources. The IDF returned to the area following new intelligence, to recover the bodies. It was not in the same area where the bodies of six hostages were found in late August.
The cause of death of the father and son was still under investigation by the IDF, it said Wednesday, though it noted that according to initial assessments, it did not occur recently.
Netanyahu offered condolences to the Ziyadne family.
“We hoped and worked for the safe return of the four members of the family from Hamas captivity,” he said. “We returned the children Bilal and Aisha on November 23, and we wanted to return Youssef and Hamza in the same way.”
Youssef, married with two wives and 19 children, was working in the kibbutz cowshed on October 7. Hamza, married and father of two, and Bilal, were working with their father, while their sister Aisha had joined them for the morning.
The family lives in Rahat, in the Ziyadne neighborhood, named for their extensive family clan.
Following his release, Bilal said the terrorists kidnapped him and his family members even though they knew they were Arabs. Bilal said the four of them were kept together.
It is now believed that 94 of the 251 hostages abducted by Hamas on October 7 remain in Gaza, including the bodies of at least 34 confirmed dead by the IDF.
Hamas released 105 civilians during a weeklong truce in late November, and four hostages were released before that. Eight hostages have been rescued by troops alive, and the bodies of 39 hostages have also been recovered, including three mistakenly killed by the military as they tried to escape their captors.
Hamas is also holding two Israeli civilians who entered the Strip in 2014 and 2015, as well as the bodies of two IDF soldiers who were killed in 2014.
- © Copyright 2012-2025, Human Rights Voices and respective authors. All Rights Reserved.
-
Source: