Israeli troops have recovered the body of Youssef Ziyadne, a Bedouin Muslim father of 19 who was held captive by Hamas since October 7, 2023.
The circumstances surrounding Youssef Ziyadne’s death remain unclear, but his body was found in a Hamas tunnel in Rafah, raising concerns about the fate of his son, Hamza.
The father and son were taken hostage while tending to cows on a kibbutz near their home in the Bedouin city of Rahat, where Youssef Ziyadne had worked for nearly 20 years. Two of Youssef Ziyadne’s other children, Aisha and Bilal, were also abducted but were later released during a ceasefire in November 2023.
Youssef and Hamza, who were 52 and 22 years old when they were taken hostage, had been seen by other captives and were believed to be alive until now. With Youssef’s body recovered, the number of hostages in Gaza now stands at 99, increasing pressure on Israel and Hamas to reach a ceasefire agreement for their release.
“The proposed agreement has come too late for Youssef, who should have been returned alive,” stated the Hostages and Missing Families Forum. “Every day in captivity poses a grave threat to the remaining hostages and hinders the possibility of returning the deceased for a proper burial.”
The family had been advocating for the release of Youssef and Hamza, with Youssef’s brother even confronting a Palestinian representative at the United Nations on their behalf last year.
A cousin of the family gained recognition for rescuing numerous festival attendees on Oct. 7, shedding light on the marginalized Bedouin community within Israeli society. The cousin, also named Youssef Ziadna, emphasized the need for better support for the Bedouin population in Israel.
In a separate incident, Israeli troops rescued another Bedouin hostage from Rahat, Farhan al-Qadi, in August during an operation in southern Gaza. Al-Qadi, a father of 11, had been taken captive while working as a security guard at an Israeli kibbutz.
Following these events, Hamas issued new orders for its operatives to execute hostages if Israeli troops approached. Subsequently, Israeli forces discovered the bodies of six hostages in Rafah, whom they believe were recently killed by their captors.
Keep Jewish Stories in Focus.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.