Israeli soldiers recovered the body of a 53-year-old hostage in an underground tunnel in southern Gaza, the military said Wednesday, and the army was determining if another set of remains belongs to the man’s son.

The discovery of Yosef AlZayadni’s body comes as Israel and Hamas are considering a ceasefire deal that would free the remaining hostages in Gaza and could halt the fighting. Israel has declared about a third of the 100 hostages dead, but believes as many as half could be.

Yosef and his son Hamzah AlZayadni were thought to still be alive before Wednesday’s announcement, and news about their fate could ramp up pressure on Israel to move forward with a deal.

The military said it found evidence in the tunnel that raised “serious concerns” for the life of Hamzah AlZayadni, 23, suggesting he may have died in captivity.

Yosef AlZayadni and three of his kids were among 250 hostages taken captive after Hamas-led militants stormed out of Gaza into southern Israel, killing 1,200 people.

AlZayadni, who had 19 children, worked at the dairy farm at southern Israel’s Kibbutz Holit for 17 years, said the Hostages Families Forum, a group representing the relatives of captives. AlZayadni’s teenage children, Bilal and Aisha, were released along with most of the hostages in a weeklong ceasefire deal in November 2023.

The family are members of the Bedouin community, part of Israel’s Palestinian minority who have Israeli citizenship. The traditionally nomadic community is particularly impoverished in Israel and has suffered from neglect and marginalization. Palestinians make up some 20% of Israel’s 10 million population, and millions more live in Gaza and under Israeli military occupation in the West Bank.

Eight members of Israel’s Bedouin minority were abducted in the October 2023 attacks.

Yosef AlZayadni appeared on a list of 34 hostages shared by a Hamas official with The Associated Press earlier this week who the militant group said were slated for release. Israel said this was a list it had submitted to mediators last July, and that it has received nothing from Hamas.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday that a ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas is “very close” and he hopes “we can get it over the line” before handing over U.S. diplomacy to President-elect Donald Trump’s administration later this month.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed sorrow at the news of AlZayadni’s death, and said in a statement he had “hoped and worked to bring back the four members of the family from Hamas captivity.” Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz earlier said the bodies of both Yosef and Hamzah AlZayadni had been recovered, but the military said the identity of some remains were not yet determined.

The Hostages Families Forum said the ceasefire deal being negotiated “comes far too late for Yosef – who was taken alive and should have returned the same way.”

“Every day in captivity poses an immediate mortal danger to the hostages,” the group said in a statement.

Many of the families fear their loved ones’ fate is at risk as long as the war in Gaza rages on. Israeli forces are pressing their air and ground war against Hamas, and on Wednesday, Palestinian medics said Israeli airstrikes killed at least five people in the Gaza Strip, including two infants and a woman.

An Associated Press journalist saw four of the bodies in the morgue at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, among them a 4-month-old boy. Israel’s military says it only targets militants, accusing them of hiding among civilians.

Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza has since killed over 45,800 Palestinians, according to the territory’s Health Ministry. It does not say how many were fighters, but says women and children make up over half the fatalities. The military says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence.

Israel has destroyed vast areas of the impoverished territory and displaced some 90% of its population of 2.3 million, often multiple times.

The fighting has also spilled over into the broader Middle East, including a war between Israel and Hezbollah now contained by a fragile ceasefire, and direct conflict between Israel and Iran.

Iran-backed rebels in Yemen have targeted shipping in the Red Sea for more than a year and recently ramped up missile attacks on Israel, saying they seek to force an end to the war in Gaza. And on Wednesday, the U.S. military said it carried out a wave of strikes against underground arms facilities of the Houthi rebels.

___

Lidman reported from Tel Aviv, Israel.

Four members of San Diego State University’s Phi Kappa Psi fraternity are facing felony charges after a skit performed at a party last year led to a pledge being set on fire.

The member set on fire suffered third-degree burns that covered more than 16% of his body as a result of the skit performed on Feb. 17, prosecutors said.

Caden Cooper, 22; Lucas Cowling, 20; Christopher Serrano, 20, and Lars Larsen, 19, were each charged Monday with at least one felony, and all four pleaded not guilty. Larsen was the person set on fire.

The charges include recklessly causing a fire with great bodily injury, conspiracy to commit an act injurious to the public and violating the social host ordinance. If convicted of all charges, the defendants could face seven years in prison.

FLORIDA FRATERNITY BROTHER WITH BRAIN DAMAGE FROM HAZING SENDS LIFESAVING WARNING TO FUTURE GREEKS

The four charged were all either active members or pledges of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity. Cooper was the fraternity’s president and Cowling was on the Pledge Board, while Serrano and Larsen were pledges, prosecutors said.

Larsen and Serrano, who were not of legal drinking age, also drank alcohol before the skit while in the presence of Cowling.

In recent years, the university’s fraternities have engaged in activities that have prompted investigations, with at least half a dozen having been put on probation in the past two years, according to the university.

In 2020, the university probed allegations that a frat leader promoted blackout drinking. That came a year after the death of a freshman who fell out of a bunk bed and cracked his skull after drinking with his fraternity the night before.

Students and parents walk on campus during move-in day at San Diego State University in San Diego, California, on Friday, Aug. 21, 2020. (Getty Images)

The Phi Kappa Psi fraternity was already on probation by the university for violating its policies on alcohol and hazing when the burning incident at the party happened nearly a year ago.

The party involved a skit that included Serrano setting Larsen on fire, according to prosecutors.

Cowling, Serrano and Larsen planned the skit in which Serrano set Larsen on fire, according to prosecutors. Larsen was in the hospital for weeks with third-degree burns, mostly to his legs.

After the incident, Cowling, Larsen and Cooper lied to law enforcement investigating the incident, deleted evidence on social media and told other fraternity members to delete evidence and not talk to anyone about what happened, according to prosecutors.

OLE MISS FRATERNITY SUSPENDED OVER HAZING ALLEGATIONS AFTER VIDEO SURFACES

Hepner Hall on the campus of San Diego State University (SDSU), part of the California State University (CSU) system, in San Diego, California, on Thursday, July 9, 2020. (Getty Images)

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The four were released from jail and ordered to return to court March 18 to prepare for a preliminary hearing scheduled for April 16.

They were also ordered not to participate in any fraternity parties or recruitment events and to follow alcohol laws.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

It’s a new year—and, just like that, an uncertain political future for South San Diego County. 

Supervisor Nora Vargas’ abrupt – and, so far, unexplained – resignation last month threw her South County district into political tumult. (Our coverage is here in case you missed it.) As chair of the five-member Board of Supervisors, Vargas was the most powerful elected official in San Diego County and the symbolic political leader of her district, which stretches from downtown San Diego to the U.S.-Mexico border. 

Vargas attributed her resignation to unspecified “safety and security” reasons. She had faced an unrelenting barrage of vitriolic personal attacks online and in person from political opponents from the moment she was elected. Rumors are flying about other possible reasons—but rumors aren’t news, and I’m not focusing on them. 

Instead, I’m starting my coverage of this race by talking at length with each of the candidates vying to replace Vargas on the Board. So far, four local politicos have jumped in: Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre, Chula Vista Councilmember Carolina Chavez, Chula Vista Mayor John McCann and San Diego City Councilmember Vivian Moreno. 

I’ll also be digging into what’s at stake in the race and identifying the major interest groups supporting each candidate. My goal is to give voters the information they need to make an educated decision. I need your help. Email me at jim.hinch@voiceofsandiego.org with tips, questions or just to tell me what matters most to you in this race. 

One more thing. This race is important. In California government, county supervisors wield immense power. Supervisors in Los Angeles County have been called the “five little kings” because they exert vast influence over wide territories. It’s the same here in San Diego. Every aspect of your life—housing, healthcare, public safety, the environment—is affected by county government. With the board currently split evenly between Democrats and Republicans, South County voters hold the county’s partisan future in their hands. Your vote matters. 

Immigration Leaps to Forefront 

My first conversation, with Paloma Aguirre, will appear tomorrow. Today, the race to replace Vargas is already making news. Both Aguirre and McCann are out of the gate declaring their opposition to one of Vargas’ final signature policies: A controversial new rule, adopted last month, that limits county cooperation with federal immigration authorities. 

Both candidates told me this week they consider the law a “mistake” that could compromise public safety by making it harder for federal authorities to deport undocumented immigrants convicted of crimes. 

“I do not support mass deportation. I do not support stripping naturalized citizens or asylum seekers from their rights,” Aguirre said. “But I think you also have to be realistic.” 

Said McCann: “If you support law enforcement, you want to make sure murderers, rapists and violent criminals are taken out of your community.” 

The policy drew national attention and was widely seen as a preemptive response to a possible anti-immigrant crackdown promised by incoming President Donald Trump. That Aguirre, widely considered the most progressive candidate seeking to replace Vargas, is already voicing skepticism suggests the policy’s future may be in doubt. You can read all about it here. 

Fast Start for New Councilmembers 

Chula Vista’s two new City Councilmembers are wasting no time acting on their campaign promises. 

“It’s the honeymoon period,” said Cesar Fernandez, newly elected to represent District 4 in the city’s southwest. “I will be releasing a 100-day plan…this week.” 

Fernandez said he expects his initial efforts on the council to focus on “workforce development, a walkable Chula Vista and all of it with constituent engagement behind it.” 

He said he plans to meet with local school districts and community college leaders to discuss developing training programs that could position students to land jobs at the new Chula Vista Bayfront project currently under construction in and adjacent to his district. 

“I want our constituents in all of Chula Vista to have first access to training and to be able to apply to those jobs and work in the city they live in,” Fernandez said. 

Fernandez said he’ll also be seeking to improve streetlighting and sidewalk conditions in his district. And he’s planning a series of community forums that would enable residents to meet with city leaders to ask questions and share concerns. 

Fernandez said he’s also gearing up for one of the less pleasant aspects of public service: Facing angry or just opinionated members of the public who lash out at elected officials during public meetings. “As disrespectful as it gets, you’ll find me with a pen in my hand ready to write down a problem that needs to be solved,” Fernandez said. 

More Police, Possible New E-Bike Rules 

City Councilmember Michael Inzunza, whose District 3 encompasses the city’s southeast corner, said his initial focus would be on what he termed “public safety.” 

He said he would seek to boost the number of police officers patrolling Chula Vista’s streets by up to half a dozen officers. “How we do it is yet to be determined,” Inzunza said. “Either by hiring new officers or increasing the number of” officers on patrol. 

Inzunza said he spoke with thousands of residents during his campaign, and a top concern for many was crime and police response times. “The idea is to increase police presence citywide from east to west,” he said. 

Inzunza said he would also advocate for a new police substation to be built in his district. And this week he said he planned to ask City Manager Maria Kachadoorian to consider researching possible new rules governing young people’s use of e-bikes. 

Inzunza said he had heard concerns from residents about students riding the bikes after school at high speeds on sidewalks and getting into accidents. He said Chula Vista could consider new rules similar to a policy in Poway, where students under age 18 and their parents are required to take an online safety course before receiving permission to bring their e-bikes to school. 

“The goal is to educate youth,” Inzunza said. “We want to make sure students are safe.” 

Possible Tenant Protections Advance in Imperial Beach 

Paloma Aguirre let slip one piece of non-campaign news during my conversation with her on Monday. She said she and Imperial Beach Councilmember Jack Fisher followed through on their promise last month to hold a series of listening sessions about a possible new tenant protection ordinance in the city. 

The issue arose after residents of an aging apartment complex packed a City Council meeting to beg for help after a new corporate owner bought the building and threatened to evict tenants to make way for a comprehensive remodeling project. (That story is here in case you missed it.) 

Aguirre said she and Fisher had spent much of the Christmas holiday meeting with tenants, landlords and others with a stake in city housing policy. She and Fisher then drafted a new tenant protection ordinance (“right on Christmas Eve, I think,” Aguirre said) and plan to present it to the City Council next week for discussion. 

“We had a number of tenants that were suffering and being affected,” Aguire said. “And we had a large number of landlords, small mom and pop landlords, that had concerns as well.” Aguirre declined to give details about the proposed ordinance, citing disclosure rules. But she pointed to similar ordinances in San Diego and Chula Vista, where officials in recent years tightened rules governing evictions in an effort to keep lower income tenants in their homes. 

“We need to do a little bit of all of the above,” Aguirre said. “We need to keep people housed and we need to be able to put people in affordable housing.”