The Israeli military announced on Sunday that it had recovered the bodies of three hostages from Gaza.
The hostages were identified as Yonatan Samerano, Shay Levinson, and Ofra Keidar. All three had been held by Hamas since the deadly onslaught of October 7, and their deaths were confirmed by the IDF.
Ofra Keidar, age 71, was killed alongside her husband, Sami, during the Hamas massacre at Kibbutz Be’eri. Her body was abducted and taken into Gaza. She was a mother of three. In December 2023, the military officially confirmed her death.
Keidar had been one of only two known female hostages still held by Hamas at the time. The other, Inbar Haiman, also died in captivity, a fact her family confirmed in December 2023.
Yonatan Samerano, 21, had been attending the Nova Music Festival near Re’im when the attacks unfolded. He escaped toward Kibbutz Be’eri, where he was killed and subsequently taken into Gaza by Hamas gunmen.
Shay Levinson served as a tank commander in the IDF’s 77th “Oz” Battalion, part of the 7th Armored Brigade. Although he was killed during the Hamas incursion on October 7, the military was only able to confirm his death in January 2024.
Reports indicate that Levinson was stationed in a tank unit that came under attack during Hamas’s early-morning infiltration that day. Before his crew was overrun, they managed to fire multiple shells and eliminate roughly 15 terrorists.
In a formal statement, Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu extended condolences to the bereaved families and expressed gratitude to those involved in the mission.
“Together with all the citizens of Israel, my wife and I send our heartfelt condolences to the dear families and share in their profound sorrow,” he said.
“I thank our commanders and soldiers for a successful operation, for their determination, and their courage,” Netanyahu added.
He reaffirmed Israel’s ongoing efforts to secure the return of all hostages. “The campaign to return the hostages continues without pause and is being carried out alongside the campaign against Iran.”
“We will not rest until all our hostages—both the living and the fallen—are brought home,” Netanyahu concluded.
Later that day, the military reported that IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir had commended the forces involved in the recovery operation, which is taking place alongside the broader Operation Rising Lion.
He noted that “the IDF shares in the sorrow of the bereaved families and will continue to operate utilizing all available efforts to bring the hostages home.”
{Matzav.com}