The Pain of the Ziyadne Family is the Pain of Us All’

Photo Credit: Hadas Parush / Flash 90

The Bedouin city of Rahat in the Negev.

The IDF has confirmed the recovery of the bodies of a Bedouin father and son from the Negev city of Rahat, found in an underground tunnel in the southern Gaza city of Rafah.

Defense Minister Israel Katz issued a statement within minutes following the announcement, saying the pain of the family of Youssef and Hamza Ziyadne is “the pain of us all.”

Israel Defense Forces and Shin Bet intelligence agents returned the bodies of the two men to Israeli territory on Tuesday, according to a joint statement.

Youssef, 53 and his son Hamza, 22, were abducted by Hamas terrorists from Kibbutz Holit together with Hamza’s sisters Bilal, 18, and Aisha, 17, during the October 7, 2023, invasion of southern Israel from Gaza.

Youssef, Hamza and Bilal were working at the kibbutz when the attack began; Aisha had joined them for the day.

It was previously believed until this point that both men were alive, and this discovery has cast a long shadow on the question of just how many Hamas hostages are actually still alive in Gaza.

“Youssef Ziyadne was killed in captivity,” the IDF said, but did not specify when the murder took place.

The IDF said Israeli forces located “findings” that caused “grave concerns” over Hamza’s fate, in the same tunnel where Youssef’s body was recovered.

According to the family, father and son were held captive together, and their bodies were found together.

“Following an identification process conducted by the National Institute of Forensic Medicine and the Israel Police; the Abductees’ Effort in the Human Resources Division, which is responsible for accompanying the families of the abductees, delivered the message to the family,” the IDF said in its statement.

“The IDF and Shin Bet share the family’s grief at this difficult time. The IDF and security forces are making every effort to return all the abductees as quickly as possible.”

Bilal and Aisha were released by Hamas on November 30, 2023, in exchange for terrorists incarcerated in Israel.

Defense Minister Israel Katz said in response to the news that the family’s pain is that of all Israelis.

Katz expressed his condolences to the Ziyadne family and said that during his tenure as foreign minister, he had “accompanied the brave family in difficult moments.”

The minister added that he became “especially close” to Ali, Youssef’s brother and Hamza’s uncle, saying that he had “accompanied me on many of my trips and political meetings and told the story of Youssef and Hamza to many leaders.”

Katz said Israel is continuing to do “everything to fulfill our supreme moral obligation” – the return of all the abductees, living and deceased, to the land of Israel.

“The pain of the Ziyadne family is the pain of all of us, and the memory of Youssef and Hamza will not be forgotten,” Katz pledged. “May their memory be blessed.”