AN ISRAELI dad who was taken hostage along with his three kids during the October 7 massacre has been found dead inside a Gaza terror tunnel.
The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) found the body of Youssef Ziyadne in an underground tunnel in the city of Rafah.
APYosef Al Zayadni, 53, has been found dead[/caption]
Youssef Ziyadne’s children, Aisha and Bilal, reuniting with their family after being released during the November 2023 hostage exchange
AFPIsraeli soldiers stand at the entrance of a tunnel in Rafah in the Gaza Strip[/caption]
His body was found along with evidence suggesting his son Hamza Zaydani may also have been killed, the Israeli military said.
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 IDF added that Ziyadne’s body had been recovered close to the bodies of armed guards from Hamas or another Palestinian militant group.
It was not immediately clear how Youssef Ziyadne had been killed but his death did not appear to have been recent, said Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani.
He added: “We are currently investigating the circumstances of his death and we are also investigating the findings regarding his son.
“These findings raise concern for his life and they are still being examined at this moment.”
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.
Earlier Defence Minister Israel Katz said in a statement that the bodies of both father and son were recovered.
Youssef was married with two wives and 19 children while Hamza was a married father of two, according to the Times of Israel.
More to follow… For the latest news on this story keep checking back at The Sun Online
Thesun.co.uk is your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video.
Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thesun and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSun.
Leave a comment
