Another hostage body recovered in Gaza identified — the latest from the Middle East war - Voice of Asia

The Israeli military confirmed on Friday that a body recovered earlier this week from the Gaza Strip was identified as 23-year-old hostage Hamza Ziyadne. Meanwhile, there appears to be progress in negotiations between Israel and Hamas on a ceasefire and hostage release agreement. Palestinians and families of hostages who died in captivity have been pleading with the Israeli government and world leaders to reach a ceasefire deal.

Israel launched its assault on Gaza after Hamas militants crossed the border on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking over 250 hostage, according to Israeli tallies. It is believed that one-third of the 100 hostages still held in Gaza are now dead. The Gaza health ministry said Thursday that 46,006 Palestinians have been killed and 109,378 wounded in the Israel-Hamas war.

The Israel Defense Forces stated that Hamza Ziyadne’s identity was confirmed by the National Forensic Institute and the Israeli Police and that his family had been notified. The military said its forces found Ziyadne and his father’s remains in a tunnel in the Rafah area and returned them to Israel. His father, Youssef Ziyadne, was identified earlier this week. The father and son were once thought to be alive before being declared dead. They were kidnapped together from Kibbutz Holit during the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.

The Hostage Families Forum, representing the families of the hostages, said that Ziyadne was a nature lover with a deep affection for animals, and was well-loved by his friends. He is survived by his wife and two children. Additionally, the threat of a massive oil spill from an oil tanker named “MV Sounion,” which had been burning in the Red Sea for weeks, has been averted. The tanker, carrying 1 million barrels of crude oil, was attacked and subsequently destroyed by Yemen’s Houthi rebels last August.

The Houthi’s main news channel, Al Masirah TV, reported that airstrikes targeted the Hezyaz power plant in Sanaa. British security firm Ambrey said it had received reports of airstrikes in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, including the Ras Isa port, a major Yemeni oil export terminal. The U.S. House of Representatives voted Thursday to sanction the International Criminal Court in protest of its arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister over actions in Gaza. The "Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act" passed with a 243-140 vote and would sanction any foreign national who investigates, arrests, detains, or prosecutes a U.S. citizen or citizen of an ally, including Israel, that is not a member of the court.

A study released on Thursday indicated that the official Palestinian death toll for direct fatalities in the first nine months of the war may have been underestimated by about 40%. The Syrian Civil Defense organization, the White Helmets, said in a statement that a stampede outside the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus on Friday resulted in the deaths of three women and the injury of five children. The statement said the stampede was caused by “severe congestion resulting from activities organized by civilians.”

According to Reuters on Thursday, Palestinian sources close to the talks said that U.S. and Arab mediators have made some progress, though not enough to reach a deal, in efforts to secure a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. Qatar, the U.S., and Egypt are working towards an agreement to end the 15-month conflict and release the remaining hostages before President Joe Biden leaves office. “We’re making some real progress,” Mr. Biden told reporters at the White House. “I still hope we can have a prisoner exchange,” he said, adding that Hamas is holding up the process. The president said he met with negotiators on Thursday.

President-elect Donald Trump warned that there would be a “price to pay” if the hostages are not released before his inauguration on January 20th. Negotiations have been stalled for a year over two key issues. Hamas says it will only release the remaining hostages if Israel agrees to end the war and withdraw all of its troops from Gaza. Israel says it will not end the war until Hamas is destroyed and all of the hostages are released.