JERUSALEM: The body of Youssef Ziyadne, an Israeli Bedouin taken hostage by Hamas-led fighters on Oct. 7, 2023, has been found in a tunnel in Gaza, along with evidence suggesting his son may also have been killed, the Israeli military said on Wednesday.
It was not immediately clear how Youssef Ziyadne had been killed but Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani said his death did not appear to have been recent.
“We are currently investigating the circumstances of his death and we are also investigating the findings regarding his son,” he told a briefing with reporters.
“These findings raise concern for his life and they are still being examined at this moment,” he said, without giving details.
Earlier Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement that the bodies of both men had been recovered.
Shoshani said special forces soldiers had conducted a “complex and difficult operation” in a tunnel in the area of the southern Gaza city of Rafah on Tuesday, and that the body of Ziyadne had been recovered close to bodies of armed guards from Hamas or another Palestinian militant group.
Two other children of Ziyadne, who were also abducted at the same time, were released in an exchange of hostages for Palestinian prisoners that took place in November 2023.
The recovery of Ziyadne’s body took place as negotiators continued talks in Doha to halt the fighting in Gaza and bring the remaining hostages back as part of a deal that would include the return of a number of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
Israel launched its assault on Gaza after Hamas fighters stormed across the border 15 months ago, killing 1,200 people and taking over 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.
More than 46,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s air and ground war against Hamas, according to health officials in the enclave.