The family and loved ones of Youssef Ziyadne, whose body was found in Gaza 15 months after his kidnapping with his son by Hamas terrorists, mourned on Wednesday the loss of this 53-year-old man, father of 19 children; They also expressed their anger against the government, which they accuse of not having acted to save their loved ones.
Youssef’s body was found Tuesday evening in a tunnel in the south of the Gaza Strip, along with traces of his son Hamza Ziyadne, 22, taken hostage at the same time as him during the pogrom perpetrated by the Palestinian terrorist group of Hamas on October 7, 2023, according to the IDF.
Members of the Ziyadne family said they had been informed by the army that Hamza’s body had also been found in the Gaza Strip. The IDF, however, did not confirm this information, limiting itself to stating that these discoveries raised “serious concerns” about the possibility of finding Hamza alive.
To not miss any of the news,
receive the Daily Headline on your email
By registering, you agree to the terms of use
Youssef and Hamza were kidnapped along with Youssef’s two other children, Bilal, 18, and Aisha, 17, while working in the stable of a kibbutz in Holit, near the border with Gaza.
Bilal and Aisha were released on November 30, 2023, after more than 50 days of captivity in the hands of Hamas. Until Tuesday, Youssef and Hamza were believed to be alive.
The cause of Youssef’s death is still under investigation by the IDF, although initial analyzes indicate that his death is not recent.
“We hoped to see them again alive within our family,” Ali Ziyadne, Youssef’s brother, told Israeli media Ynet. “This is a painful and heartbreaking tragedy. »
Ali said he was confident his brother and nephew would soon be freed from Gaza, with negotiators in Doha appearing close to reaching a new deal on the release of the hostages and a ceasefire.
Youssef Ziyadne and his son Hamza Ziyadne (Courtesy)
“Every day the boys and I checked to see if there was anything new,” he added. “We thought they would be included in the new deal because we had seen reports that they were among those to be released, we had hope that they were still alive. »
“It was extremely difficult for us to digest the news of the discovery of their bodies today, and we said: ‘check again, maybe you are wrong, maybe they are alive, don’t Don’t draw hasty conclusions,’” he said. “But in the end, we had to face this harsh reality that tore our hearts. »
Speaking to the Hebrew press, Odeh Ziyadne, a relative of Youssef, accused the government of deliberately letting the hostages die.
“They decided they wanted the hostages to die. That’s the whole problem,” he said. “And you know why? This is because they do not want witnesses against them in a commission of inquiry – if there is one. They don’t want witnesses among the hostages.”
“We had so much hope, Youssef was on the list,” he added. “They could have saved them alive. »
Repeating that “the government has made it clear that it does not want the hostages alive,” Odeh criticized Defense Minister Israel Katz for issuing a statement on the discovery of Youssef’s body and evidence linked to Hamza before even if all the members of the large Bedouin family had not been informed of it.
“The Minister of Defense has forgotten that he is supposed to be the Minister of Defense. He rushed to inform others of the discovery of the remains, simply to check a box,” he accused. “I hope that the fate of other families will be different from that of mine. On October 7, they were alive. »
This photo released by the Israeli Government Press Service on December 1, 2023 shows former Arab Israeli hostages Bilal Ziyadne (right) and Aisha Ziyadne (left), 17, with one of their parents at Soroka Hospital in Beer Sheva, shortly after their liberation by Hamas on November 30, 2023. (GPO / AFP)
Speaking to the Kan public broadcaster, a member of the Ziyadne family, whose name was not revealed, said: “What they [le Hamas] done on October 7, whether to Bedouins or Jews, is not authorized by Islam. »
“We have lost sons, whether they are Jews or Muslims,” he added. “They all have mothers and children waiting for them. We have been grieving for 15 months, and unfortunately, it ends this way. This news caused me immense pain. »
The repercussions of Youssef’s death – and concern for Hamza’s life – reached far beyond the Ziyadne family, shaking the entire town of Rahat. The family resides in the Ziyadne neighborhood, named in homage to their vast clan.
Rahat Mayor Talal Alkernawi expressed the community’s pain, saying they “hoped to welcome them alive and hug the family”, but that would no longer be possible.
He also announced that a day of mourning would be observed on Thursday, with a closure of municipal services and educational establishments.
Farhan al-Qadi, a former hostage and neighbor of the family, paid tribute to his longtime friend.
“Everyone is crying in our house. We hoped to see them come back alive,” he confided. Al-Qadi, who was rescued by the IDF in a tunnel in Gaza in August 2024.
Rescued hostage Farhan al-Qadi in a tent not far from his home, near Rahat, on August 28, 2024. (Credit: Jamal Awad/Flash90)
“Youssef, my friend, my neighbor, my childhood comrade… It’s very hard. We must end this war and bring everyone home. He was the friend of all, the father of all. He didn’t deserve this, no one deserves this. »
The Forum of Families of Hostages and the Disappeared also deplored the loss of Youssef, describing him as “a man of dialogue, the pillar of his family and an essential figure of his community”.
“The agreement being worked out comes too late for Youssef, who was taken alive and who should have returned alive,” the forum said. “Every day of captivity endangers the lives of the hostages who have survived so far and complicates the recovery of the remains, thus depriving the families of a dignified funeral. »
Among the 251 hostages kidnapped by Hamas on October 7, 94 are still being held in Gaza, according to the IDF, including the bodies of 34 hostages confirmed dead.
Hamas freed 105 civilians during a week-long truce in late November, and four hostages were freed before that. Eight hostages were rescued by the troops alive, and the bodies of 40 hostages were also found, three of whom were mistakenly killed by the army while trying to escape their captors.
Hamas also holds two Israeli civilians who entered the strip in 2014 and 2015, as well as the bodies of two IDF soldiers killed in 2014.
Emanuel Fabian contributed to this article.
