The Israeli military announced Friday that Israeli Arab hostage Hamza Ziyadneh had been killed in the Palestinian enclave in Gaza, but efforts by mediators to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas to free the hostages have been minimal. Not successful.
Approximately 98 hostages remain in Gaza, more than 15 months after the Gaza war began on October 7, 2023, with a Hamas-led attack. Israeli authorities estimate that around 36 people were killed.
Ziadne’s death was announced just one day after his family and friends buried his father, Youssef Ziadne, 53, who was also held hostage. The Israeli military announced that the bodies of the dead prisoners of war were found together with other prisoners in an underground tunnel in the city of Rafah in southern Gaza. It is not clear when it was discovered.
Until their discovery, neither hostage had been listed as presumed dead by Israeli authorities, who were attempting to use the information to assess the condition of the remaining hostages. This could further heighten fears among families of prisoners remaining in Gaza that their relatives have already met the same fate.
It was not immediately clear how the Ziadnes died. Some of the hostages died in Israeli airstrikes, but Israel says others were executed by their captors. Israeli military spokesman Nadav Shoshani said Wednesday that the military was still investigating after Youssef was confirmed dead.
Like Mr. Ziadneh, the Arab population of Israel was not spared from Hamas attacks. At least 17 people were killed and several were taken hostage. According to Israel, about 1,200 people were killed in the attack and 250 were taken hostage.
Like Ziadneh, many belonged to the Bedouin Arab minority, which has long lived on the fringes of Israeli society. Historically nomadic, many Bedouins now live in cities and settlements across southern Israel, some of which lack basic government services such as running water and electricity.
Hamza Ziyadneh, 23, was taken hostage along with his father and two younger brothers, Bilal and Aisha, at the Israeli kibbutz where his father worked. Bilal, 18, and Aisha, 17, were released during a week-long truce in November 2023. The ceasefire saw the release of 105 Israeli and foreign hostages, mostly women and children, in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners.
The Hostage Families Forum, which represents relatives of prisoners of war, said Hamza Ziyadneh was survived by his wife and two children. The organization said in a statement that he was a “nature lover with a deep love for animals and loved by his friends.”
“Four members of the family were abducted, and only two returned alive,” the group said in a statement. “Youssef and Hamza, who survived their hellish period in Gaza captivity, could have been saved had there been an earlier agreement.”
Months of efforts to bridge the gap between Israel and Hamas over a ceasefire and hostage release agreement have been fruitless. Qatar and Egypt are leading the talks, with the Biden administration also mediating.
Biden said Thursday that he was making “real progress” in the negotiations, but gave no further details. Officials on all sides have repeatedly expressed optimism for a breakthrough over the past few months, but their hopes were dashed days later by a new obstacle.
Israel and Hamas have been offering seemingly contradictory conditions for a deal for months. Hamas is demanding an end to the war and Israel’s complete withdrawal from Gaza as part of the hostage release deal. Israeli leaders said they would not end the war until Hamas in the Gaza Strip was destroyed and vowed to maintain top security control in the strip.
Michael D. Shear Contributed to reporting in Washington.
