Official announcements or credible reports from international news agencies

IDF Recovers Body of Hostage Youssef al-Ziyadna from Rafah Tunnel; Son Hamza Also Presumed Dead

Jan 8, 2025, 04:08 PM

Israeli forces have recovered the body of Israeli hostage Youssef al-Ziyadna, 53, from an underground tunnel in Rafah in the Gaza Strip, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) announced on Wednesday. Youssef, a father of 19 children from the Bedouin community in Rahat, was abducted by Hamas militants along with three of his children during the October 7 attacks. The IDF stated that Youssef was killed in captivity. While the body of his son Hamza, 22, was not found, evidence suggests he was also killed. Two of Youssef’s other children, Bilal (18) and Aisha (17), were released in a previous hostage exchange in November 2023. The recovery brings the number of hostages still held by Hamas to 98, including both living hostages and those whose remains have yet to be retrieved.