Funeral of Youssef Ziadna, who was killed in Hamas captivity in Gaza, in Rahat, Israel on Jan. 9, 2025. Photo: Taken by author
Hundreds of mourners gathered on Friday in the Israeli Bedouin city of Rahat to lay to rest Hamza Ziadna, whose body was returned by the military after being killed in Hamas captivity in Gaza, a day after the funeral of his father, Youssef Ziadna, who was also killed in captivity. The city declared four days of mourning following the confirmation of his death.
Hamza Ziadna, 22, was abducted with his father Youssef, 53, and two of his siblings during the Palestinian terror group Hamas’s invasion of and massacre across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed his death on Friday, nearly two days after the death of Youssef was announced. Meanwhile, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz on Thursday sent his “deep condolences to the Ziadna family upon the discovery of the bodies of Youssef and Hamza, who were kidnapped by Hamas murderers on Oct. 7 and were rescued in a heroic operation by our heroic soldiers.”
Crowds at Thursday’s funeral expressed frustration at the prolonged wait for clarity regarding Hamza’s fate. According to Youssef Ziadna, who shares the same name as his deceased relative, the family was distraught that the elder Ziadna was named on a list for release in a ceasefire deal with Hamas. The hostage list he referred to, first published by the Asharq al Awsat newspaper, contains 34 names, but Israel later denied that it had received such a list from Hamas.
“We were told by the army that Hamza was also killed, but his body has not been recovered. At the funeral, [Ziadna’s] children ran around shouting, ‘how can it be? Our father’s name was on the list of captives; he’s supposed to come home.’ Now, that hope is gone,” Ziadna told The Algemeiner.
“The family is angry that the government isn’t making a deal to free the captives,” he said. “Unfortunately, two days [after seeing the list]we received the heartbreaking news — for the whole family, for the entire city, for the world — that they were murdered, and this was their fate.”
“It’s so very sad for the entire family. We’re all in shock,” he added.
Funeral of Youssef Ziadna, who was killed in Hamas captivity in Gaza, in Rahat, Israel on Jan. 9, 2025. Photo: Taken by author
Hamza Ziadna’s remains were released on Friday to the Rahat community for burial from the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute in Tel Aviv, after undergoing an autopsy.
Rahat’s mayor declared a city-wide period of mourning, during which businesses, schools, and municipal services will halt in solidarity with the Ziadna family.
Ninety-nine hostages are still held by Hamas in Gaza, with efforts at negotiating a temporary ceasefire deal ongoing. US President Joe Biden said on Thursday that “real progress” was being made in the negotiations, but that Hamas was the main factor preventing it from happening.
“Hamas is the one getting in the way of that exchange right now, but I think we may be able to get that done. We need to get it done,” he told reporters.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed his condolences to the Ziadna family and reiterated his government’s commitment to securing the return of all captives, both living and deceased.
Two of Ziadna’s other children — Bilal, 18, and Aisha, 17 — who were kidnapped while working in the cowshed at Kibbutz Holit near the Gaza border, were released in a deal at the end of November 2023 after more than 50 days in captivity.
“I hope that all the captives, whether alive or not, will return. We don’t need to keep receiving news every week about one or two captives coming back to us in coffins,” Ziadna told The Algemeiner. “I hope there will be peace, quiet, and tranquility for the whole world. Enough already with all this suffering for these innocent souls.”
Funeral of Youssef Ziadna, who was killed in Hamas captivity in Gaza, in Rahat, Israel on Jan. 9, 2025. Photo: Taken by author
A total of six Arab Muslim Bedouin citizens of Israel were kidnapped to Gaza by Hamas last Oct. 7. Apart from the four members of the Ziadna family, Fouad al-Talalka, 22, and Qaid Farhan al-Qadi 53, from the Bedouin Israeli community of Houra, were kidnapped from kibbutz Magen. Qadi was brought back to Israel from a tunnel in southern Gaza following a rescue mission by the IDF in August.
