From the Liveblog of
Friday, January 10, 2025
IDF confirms death of hostage Hamza Ziyadne, day after father Youssef laid to rest
Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
The family of hostage Hamza Ziyadne, 22, say they have been informed that his body was identified by the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute.
Ziyadne’s remains were recovered by the IDF from a tunnel in southern Gaza’s Rafah on Tuesday night, along with the body of his father Youssef, 53.
The IDF says its representatives notified Ziyadne’s family of the news this morning, following the identification process by the forensic institute.
“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 says.
“The IDF and Shin Bet are making every effort to return all the hostages as quickly as possible,” the statement adds.
The IDF said earlier this week that the remains it recovered from the tunnel raised “grave concerns” for Hamza’s life. It is now confirmed that he was indeed killed.
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 40 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.
