Remains of Father and Son Abducted by Hamas Recovered by IDF As Trump’s Release Deadline Looms

Latest Developments

Remains of Father and Son Recovered in Rafah: The IDF and Shin Bet confirmed on January 10 that it had recovered the body of Israeli hostage Hamza Ziyadne, 22, two days after it announced that troops in Gaza located the remains of his father, 53-year-old Youssef, in a tunnel in the southern city of Rafah. The Ziyadnes, who are Arab Israelis, were abducted by Hamas terrorists from Kibbutz Holit on October 7, 2023, along with Hamza’s brother Bilal, 18, and sister Aisha, 17. Bilal and Aisha were released from captivity during a brief ceasefire in November 2023. Israeli media reported that the IDF also discovered the bodies of two Hamas terrorists who were believed to have been their captors.
Hamas Still Obstacle But Negotiators See Progress: President Joe Biden said this week that “real progress” had been achieved in negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza and the return of hostages before he leaves office on January 20. Biden, who met with negotiators this week, said that Hamas was currently the obstacle to finalizing a deal. According to The Times of Israel, negotiators continue to use the three-phase ceasefire plan unveiled by Biden in May as a base for negotiations, but U.S., Qatari, and Egyptian mediators are focusing on reaching an agreement on the first phase, which would include a temporary, six-week ceasefire, an influx of humanitarian aid, and the release of approximately 34 hostages.
Negotiations Will Be Turned Over to New Administration: Outgoing Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on January 8 that he hopes the Biden administration “can get it over the line in the time that we have left,” adding that the plan would be handed over to the incoming Trump administration otherwise. During a press conference on January 7, President-elect Donald Trump repeated his threat that “all hell will break out in the Middle East” if Hamas does not release the hostages by the time of his inauguration on January 20. At the same event, Trump’s designated Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff — who has been shuttling to Doha for the negotiations — said that the talks were “making a lot of progress.” Hamas still holds approximately 98 Israeli hostages, including the bodies of at least 34 believed by the IDF to be dead.

FDD Expert Response

“As the IDF continues to locate hostages in Rafah, the Biden administration’s warning last May against an Israeli ground operation in the city appears increasingly misguided. Since that warning, the IDF has rescued hostages and recovered bodies. Furthermore, troops locating the bodies of the Ziyadnes in Rafah highlights a concerning trend: terrorist organizations are using Rafah as a prime location for hiding hostages.” — Joe Truzman, Senior Research Analyst and Editor at FDD’s Long War Journal

“Hamas kidnapped and killed the Ziyadnes precisely because they were Arab. The Ziyadnes, who worked on a kibbutz near Gaza, represent the very best of Jewish-Arab coexistence in Israel. Another relative of theirs risked his life to rescue 30 Israelis from the Hamas massacre. Hamas depends on strife and murder, while the Ziyadnes provide coexistence and peace.” — David May, Research Manager and Senior Research Analyst