Israel Identifies Hostage Hamza Al-Ziyadnah’s Body Recovered from Gaza Tunnel

The Israeli military confirmed the identification of Hamza Al-Ziyadnah, 23, whose body was found in a tunnel in the Rafah area of southern Gaza. This discovery follows the earlier recovery of his father, Yosef Al-Ziyadnah, 53, whose remains were found in the same region earlier this week. Both were kidnapped during the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.

According to a statement by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Shin Bet, Hamza and his father were among the hostages held by Hamas. The recovery of Hamza’s body follows evidence that raised serious concerns for his well-being after his father’s remains were discovered. The Al-Ziyadnah family, part of the Bedouin Muslim-Arab community in Israel’s Negev Desert, has been deeply affected by this loss.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum expressed sorrow over Hamza’s death, reiterating their call for an urgent agreement to bring back all hostages held in Gaza. The forum stressed that Hamza and Yosef could have been saved through earlier negotiations and called for an expedited deal to ensure the safe return of the remaining hostages.

This tragic loss has intensified calls for action to secure the return of the hostages and provide proper burials for the deceased. The community urges swift negotiations to bring all hostages home for rehabilitation.