Bodies of Bedouin Hostages Yousef and Hamza al-Zaydana Recovered in Gaza

Jerusalem, 8 January, 2025 (TPS-IL) -- The bodies of Israeli hostages Yousef and Hamza al Zaydana were recovered from Gaza, Defense Minster Israel Katz confirmed on Wednesday.

“I would like to express my deepest condolences to the Al-Zaydana family upon the discovery of the bodies of Yousef and Hamza, who were kidnapped by Hamas murderers on October 7, and rescued in a heroic operation by our heroic fighters,” Katz tweeted.

“During my tenure as Foreign Minister, I accompanied the brave family in difficult moments, and I became especially close to Ali, Yousef’s brother and Hamza’s uncle, who accompanied me on many of my trips and political meetings and told the story of Yousef and Hamza to many leaders. Even now, in these moments, we continue to do everything to fulfill our supreme moral obligation – the return of all the abductees, living and dead, to the land of Israel,” he added.

Yousef, 53, and Hamza, 22, residents of the Bedouin city of Rahat, were kidnapped while working at Kibbutz Holit.

His teenage daughters, Bilal and Aisha, were also abducted, but released during a temporary ceasefire in November 2023.

At least 1,200 people were killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage in Hamas’s attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7. Of the 95 remaining hostages, more than 30 have been declared dead. Hamas has also been holding captive two Israeli civilians since 2014 and 2015, and the bodies of two soldiers killed in 2014.