Hamza Ziyadne, an Arab citizen of Israel kidnapped during the 2023 Hamas attack, has been declared dead by the Israeli military, raising fears for approximately 98 remaining hostages in Gaza as efforts for negotiation persist.
Israeli Hostage Confirmed Dead Amid Ongoing Gaza Tensions
Israeli Hostage Confirmed Dead Amid Ongoing Gaza Tensions
The tragic situation deepens as Hamza Ziyadne’s death raises concerns for the remaining hostages in Gaza.
The Israeli military announced on Friday that 23-year-old Hamza Ziyadne, an Arab citizen captured in the catastrophic Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, was killed while held hostage in Gaza. This revelation coincides with the ongoing struggle of mediators striving for a truce between Israel and Hamas aimed at securing the release of hostages. Following the initial assault, an estimated 98 hostages remain in Gaza, with 36 presumed dead by Israeli authorities.
The announcement of Ziyadne’s death occurred just one day post the burial of his father, Youssef Ziyadne, aged 53, who was also a hostage. Both bodies were reportedly discovered in a tunnel beneath Rafah, a city in southern Gaza, alongside their deceased captors. The exact circumstances surrounding their deaths remain unclear; previous instances showed some hostages killed in Israeli airstrikes, while others were allegedly executed by their captors.
Nadav Shoshani, a spokesperson for the Israeli military, noted that investigations into the Ziyadne family's deaths are still underway. This tragic confirmation is likely to amplify the anxiety among families of the remaining hostages, who now fear that their loved ones may have met a similar fate. The impact of the assault has also been felt among Israel’s Arab citizens, with at least 17 fatalities reported and several taken hostage during the conflict. Overall, the violent clash has resulted in around 1,200 deaths and the capture of approximately 250 individuals, as stated by Israeli officials.
