The Israeli military said Wednesday that troops have recovered the body of a hostage held in Gaza and were examining whether another body recovered was also that of a captive.
Earlier, Israel’s defence minister said that troops recovered the bodies of two hostages.
The military said the body of Yosef Al Zaydani was brought to Israel on Tuesday after being discovered in an underground tunnel near the southern Gaza city of Rafah. It said troops uncovered information about Al Zaydani’s son Hamzah that “raised serious concerns for his life.”
Military spokesman Col. Nadav Shoshani said the military was looking into the identity of a second set of remains recovered.
Yesterday, the IDF and ISA located and recovered the body of the hostage Youssef Ziyadne from an underground tunnel in the area of Rafah in Gaza, and returned his body to Israel.<br><br>Youssef, 53, was the father of 19 children and lived in Rahat. Youssef was abducted on Oct. 7, 2023… <a href=”https://t.co/0WK6kl80Ks”>pic.twitter.com/0WK6kl80Ks</a>
—@IDF
Al Zaydani and his son were taken captive during Hamas attacks of Oct. 7, 2023, among 250 hostages snatched by the militant group during its cross-border raid.
Israel believes a third of the remaining 100 hostages are dead. The body’s recovery comes as Israel and Hamas are considering a ceasefire deal that would free the hostages and halt the fighting in Gaza.
However, Yosef and Hamzah Al Zaydani had been believed to still be alive.
Yosef Al Zaydani’s name was on a list of 34 hostages shared by a Hamas official with The Associated Press that the group said were slated for release.
Many families of hostages say the continuation of the war in Gaza puts the lives of the remaining hostages at risk. They have demanded throughout the conflict that Israel reaches a deal with Hamas to free their loved ones.
More to come
