The Israeli military said on Friday that Hamza Ziyadne, an Israeli Arab citizen held hostage in the Gaza Strip, was killed in a Palestinian enclave. That’s because efforts by mediators to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas to rescue the hostages have had little success.
October 7, 2023 More than 15 months after war broke out in the Gaza Strip following a Hamas-led attack, some 98 hostages remain in Gaza. Israeli authorities estimate that about 36 of them were killed.
Confirmation of Mr Ziyadne’s death comes a day after family and friends buried his father, Youssef Ziyadne, 53, who was also held hostage. The Israeli military said their bodies were found along with their dead kidnappers in a tunnel beneath the southern Gaza city of Rafah. It is unclear when they were discovered or how Ziyadnes died.
Before they were found, neither hostage was listed as presumed dead by Israeli officials, who sought to use the information to assess the condition of the remaining hostages. This is likely to further heighten fears that families of prisoners remaining in Gaza may have already suffered the same fate.
Some hostages were killed in Israeli airstrikes, and Israel said other hostages were also executed by their kidnappers. Israeli military spokesman Nadav Shoshani said Wednesday the military was still conducting an investigation after Youssef Ziyadneh’s death was confirmed.
Cousin Bashir Ziyadne said the family had held out hope that the captives would survive their ordeal and was shocked by their deaths. Many Israelis, especially hostage families, say the Israeli government could have done much more to reach a cease-fire agreement with Hamas to rescue the remaining hostages.
Angry relatives chased away an Israeli government minister who tried to attend Hamza’s funeral on Friday, he added.
“The failure of the hostages to be released is a result of decisions this government has made and continues to make,” he said. “If they wanted to take the hostages back, they could have done that.”
Israel’s Arab citizens, such as Hamza and Yousef Ziyadne, are not exempt from Hamas attacks. At least 17 people were killed and several were taken hostage. According to Israel, the attack killed about 1,200 people and took 250 hostage.
Many belonged to the Bedouin Arab minority, which has long lived on the margins of Israeli society. Historically nomadic, many Bedouins now live in cities and small villages throughout southern Israel, some of which lack basic government services such as running water and electricity.
Hamza Ziyadne, 23, was taken hostage along with his father and two younger siblings, Bilal and Aisha, at the Israeli kibbutz where his father worked. Bilal, 18, and Aisha, 17, were released during a week-long ceasefire in November 2023. In this truce, 105 Israeli and foreign hostages, mainly women and children, were exchanged for 240 Palestinian prisoners.
Their kidnapping has left Ziyadne’s family in a difficult situation, said their cousin, Bashir Ziyadne, who has been demanding their release for months. Some Palestinians viewed them as traitors and accused them of “discussing our suffering without discussing the suffering of Gaza,” which ultimately contributed to the family’s withdrawal from public advocacy, he said.
The Hostage Families Forum, which represents relatives of prisoners, said Hamza Ziyadne was survived by his wife and two children. In a statement, the agency described him as “a nature lover who has a deep love for animals and is loved by his friends.”
The group said in a statement, “Four members of a family were kidnapped, and only two of them returned alive.” “Youssef and Hamza, who survived the hellish period of captivity in Gaza, could have been rescued by prior agreement.”
Months of efforts to bridge the gap between Israel and Hamas over negotiations for a ceasefire and hostage release have been fruitless. Qatar and Egypt have led the talks, which are also being mediated by the Biden administration.
On Thursday, Biden said “real progress” was being made in negotiations, without providing further details. Over the past few months, officials on all sides have repeatedly sounded optimistic about a breakthrough, but days later saw their hopes dashed by new obstacles.
For months, Israel and Hamas have been working out seemingly incompatible terms for an agreement. Hamas has demanded an end to the war and a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza as part of negotiations for the release of hostages. Israeli leaders have vowed they will not end the war in Gaza until Hamas is destroyed and will maintain overriding security controls there.
Michael D. Scheer He contributed reporting from Washington.
