Israeli military says body of Bedouin hostage recovered from Gaza

The Israeli army says its troops have discovered the physique of a Bedouin Arab hostage held by Hamas in Gaza, in addition to proof that implies one other might also be useless.

The physique of Yousef Zyadna, 53, was recovered from an underground tunnel within the southern Rafah space on Tuesday.

The troops additionally made what the army described as “findings… which elevate critical considerations” for the lifetime of his son, Hamza, 22, who was additionally kidnapped by Hamas gunmen throughout the 7 October 2023 assault on southern Israel.

Two of Hamza’s siblings, Aisha and Bilal, had been seized alongside them at a kibbutz farm that day. However they had been amongst 105 hostages launched throughout a week-long ceasefire in November 2023.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed “deep sorrow over the bitter information that the Zyadna household acquired immediately”.

The information got here shortly earlier than US Secretary of State Antony Blinken informed reporters that US, Qatari and Egyptian mediators had been “very shut” to brokering a brand new ceasefire and hostage launch deal between Israel and Hamas.

In the meantime, at the very least 14 Palestinians had been killed in Israeli air strikes throughout Gaza on Wednesday, in keeping with medics and first responders.

The Israeli army additionally mentioned it intercepted a rocket fired from southern Gaza.

Yousef Zyadna lived in a Bedouin village in Israel’s southern Negev desert.

On the morning of seven October 2023, he went to work on the dairy farm of Kibbutz Holit, the place he was joined by his three kids for a picnic.

They had been among the many 251 Israelis and overseas nationals taken hostage when a whole lot of Hamas-led gunmen stormed throughout the close by Israel-Gaza perimeter fence and killed about 1,200 different individuals.

Israel launched a marketing campaign to destroy Hamas in response to the assault. Greater than 45,930 individuals have been killed in Gaza since then, in keeping with the territory’s Hamas-run well being ministry.

Israel says 95 of the hostages stay in Gaza, of whom 34 are presumed useless, in addition to one other 4 Israelis who had been kidnapped earlier than the struggle, two of whom are useless.

The Israeli army mentioned Yousef Zyadna was “killed in captivity” and that his household was notified following an identification process carried out by Nationwide Institute of Forensic Drugs and the Israel Police.

Spokesman Lt Col Nadav Shoshani informed reporters that particular forces discovered his physique near the our bodies of a number of armed guards, and that it was not clear how or when he died.

“We’re presently investigating the circumstances of his demise and we’re additionally investigating the findings concerning his son,” he mentioned, in keeping with Reuters information company.

“These findings elevate concern for his life and they’re nonetheless being examined at this second,” he added, with out giving any particulars.

Earlier, Defence Minister Israel Katz wrote on X that each Yousef and Hamza’s our bodies had been recovered.

Prime Minister Netanyahu mentioned: “We hoped and labored for the secure return of the 4 members of the [Zyadna] household held hostage by Hamas.”

“We returned the kids Bilal and Aisha in November 2023 and wished to deliver again Yousef and Hamza as nicely. I ship heartfelt condolences to the household.”

He additionally pledged that Israeli safety forces would “proceed to make each effort to return all of our hostages, the dwelling and the deceased”.

The Hostages and Lacking Households Discussion board, which represents some hostages’ households, expressed remorse that potential ceasefire and hostage launch deal being mentioned in Doha “comes far too late for Yousef”.

“Day by day in captivity poses an instantaneous mortal hazard to the hostages who’ve managed to outlive for 15 months, and threatens the potential of returning the deceased for burial,” a press release mentioned.

On Sunday, Yousef Zyadna’s identify featured on an inventory of 34 hostages which a senior Hamas official mentioned the group was prepared to launch within the first section of a ceasefire deal.

The Israeli prime minister’s workplace denied that Hamas had supplied Israel with such an inventory, saying it was “initially handed from Israel to intermediaries as early as July 2024”. It additionally mentioned Israel had not acquired affirmation about whether or not these on the record had been alive or useless.

Hamas’s determination to share the record with the media was seen as an try to extend public strain on the Israeli authorities because the negotiations resumed in Doha.

On Wednesday, Antony Blinken mentioned a possible deal was shut and that he hoped to “get it over the road” earlier than President-elect Donald Trump takes workplace on 20 January.

“I imagine that once we get that deal, and we’ll get it, it’s going to be on the idea of the plan that President [Joe] Biden put earlier than the world, again in Could,” the US secretary of state added.

Trump’s Center East envoy, Stephen Witkoff, additionally informed a information convention on Tuesday that “loads of progress” had been made on the talks and that he was planning to affix them.

Trump in the meantime repeated his menace that “all hell will get away within the Center East” if Hamas didn’t launch all of the hostages inside the subsequent 12 days.

Hamas official Osama Hamdan mentioned in response: “I feel the US president should make extra disciplined and diplomatic statements.”

Either side have accused one another of obstructing progress in direction of a deal by making unreasonable calls for.

Hamas needs Israel to conform to a everlasting ceasefire and full withdrawal from Gaza. Israel says it is not going to finish the struggle till Hamas’s army and governing capabilities are dismantled and all of the hostages are introduced house.