Official announcements from the IDF or Israeli government

IDF Recovers Body of Hostage Youssef Al-Ziadna from Rafah Tunnel; Son Hamza Still Missing

Jan 8, 2025, 05:17 PM

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) have recovered the body of Israeli hostage Youssef Al-Ziadna from an underground tunnel in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, during an operation conducted on Tuesday. Youssef, 53, a father of 19 children and a member of Israel's Bedouin community from Rahat, was abducted by Hamas militants on October 7 while working in the fields at Kibbutz Holit, along with his three children: Hamza (22), Bilal (18), and Aisha (17). Bilal and Aisha were released in a previous hostage exchange in November 2023. The IDF found evidence linked to Hamza, raising serious concerns for his life, but his body has not been recovered. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed the recovery and expressed condolences. Youssef was killed in captivity.