Israel recovers bodies of three hostages from Gaza Strip
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Israeli military finds bodies of 3 hostages held by Hamas in Gaza
The Israeli military has recovered the bodies of three hostages, including the 21-year-old Yonatan Samerano, who were held in the Gaza Strip. The other two bodies have been identified as those of Ofra Keidar (70), and Shay Levinson (19) All of them were killed during Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct 7, 2023, that triggered the ongoing war-like situation.
“Yesterday was Yonati’s Hebrew birthday. On his 23rd birthday, the day he was born, our Yonati was rescued in the heroic operation of the IDF and the heroic GSS soldiers,” Yonatan’s father, Kobi Samerano, said in a Facebook post.
“From the first moment, I believed, with all my heart, that our army would return my son. I didn’t stop believing, and so it happened,” added Kobi Samerano on his Facebook post, as he further expressed gratitude towards the Israeli government, the Prime Minister, the country’s security forces and the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) soldiers.
The other two bodies have been identified as those of Ofra Keidar (70), and Shay Levinson (19). All of them were killed during Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct 7, 2023, that triggered the ongoing war-like situation.
According to a report by The Jerusalem Post, Levinson was a tank commander in the 77th “Oz” Battalion in the 7th Armoured Brigade, and was taken by Hamas when the terrorists crossed the border in the early hours of Oct 7. His tank managed to kill around 15 terrorists with shells before being overwhelmed.
Hamas is still believed to hold around 50 hostages, more than half of which are assumed to be dead.
“The campaign to return the hostages continues consistently and is happening alongside the campaign against Iran,” said Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a statement.
According to a report by AP, on the Oct 7 attack, militants from Hamas had abducted around 251 and killed over 1,200 people, that comprised mostly civilians. A large number of the hostages were returned during the past ceasefire agreements.
Israeli forces recover bodies of three hostages from Gaza
The hostages were identified as civilians Ofra Keidar and Yonatan Samerano, and soldier Shay Levinson. All were killed on the day of the attack, on October 7, 2023, the military said. 50 hostages now remain in Gaza, only 20 of whom are believed to be alive. Around 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage during the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel, according to Israeli authorities. The Israeli campaign in Gaza has since killed more than 55,000 Palestinians and displaced almost the entire 2.3 million population. The main opposition parties in the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, on Monday voted against a motion of no confidence in the government. Israel’s military assault on Iran has united much of the nation after a period of bitter divisions.
The hostages were identified as civilians Ofra Keidar and Yonatan Samerano, and soldier Shay Levinson. All were killed on the day of the attack, on October 7, 2023, the military said.
“In a special operation… the bodies of the hostages Ofra Keidar, Yonatan Samerano and Staff Sergeant Shay Levinson were recovered from the Gaza Strip yesterday,” the military said in a statement.
Samerano’s father had announced earlier Sunday that his son’s body, which was taken into Gaza after he was murdered in a kibbutz by the territory on October 7, 2023 had been recovered by the Israeli army.
Keidar, a 71-year-old mother of three, was also killed in a kibbutz and abducted, while 19-year-old tank commander Levinson “engaged and fought terrorists on the morning of October 7 and fell in combat,” a statement from the military said.
With their retrieval, 50 hostages now remain in Gaza, only 20 of whom are believed to be alive.
The abduction of Samerano, 21 at the time of his death, by a man claimed by Israeli officials as a worker at the UN’s Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA, was caught on CCTV.
Israel banned all cooperation with UNRWA in Gaza and the occupied West Bank last year, alleging that the UN agency has been infiltrated by Hamas.
The claims sparked international controversy and have been strongly disputed by UNRWA.
Around 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage during the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel, according to Israeli authorities.
The Israeli campaign in Gaza has since killed more than 55,000 Palestinians, according to health authorities in the Strip, displaced almost the entire 2.3 million population, plunged the enclave into humanitarian crisis and left much of the territory in ruins.
Angst over Gaza set aside as Netanyahu’s critics back him over Iran
Israel’s military assault on Iran has united much of the nation after a period of bitter divisions over the war in Gaza, transforming the political landscape overnight as even Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s foes close ranks behind him.
Most Israelis support using force to destroy Iran’s nuclear programme, polling shows, despite retaliatory Iranian missile strikes that have killed 24 civilians and put normal life on hold.
The main opposition parties in the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, on Monday voted against a motion of no confidence in the government.
Just a week ago, and only 24 hours before the first strikes on Iran, those same parties voted for the Knesset to dissolve itself, which had it succeeded would have been a first step towards early elections that polls suggest Netanyahu would lose.
Netanyahu’s political rivals and a large proportion of the public accuse him of prolonging the war in Gaza to stay in office and avoid a corruption trial, to the detriment of the hostages still held by Hamas and of Israel’s moral standing.
But on Iran, 83% of Jewish Israelis support his decision to attack, according to a poll by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem conducted on Sunday and Monday.
However, the Hebrew University poll revealed a profound fault line between Israel’s Jewish majority and its Arab minority, who make up about 20% of the population.
Only 12% of them support the assault on Iran.
Israel recovers the remains of 3 more hostages from Gaza
At least four Palestinians were killed in an Israeli airstrike and 22 wounded while waiting for humanitarian aid, a hospital says. The military identified the remains as those of Yonatan Samerano, 21; Ofra Keidar, 70; and Shay Levinson, 19. All three were killed during Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack into Israel that ignited the ongoing war. The militant group is still holding 50 hostages, less than half of them believed to be alive. The U.S., Qatar and Egypt have been trying to broker a new ceasefire and hostage release after Israel ended a truce in March with a surprise wave of airstrikes, but talks appear to have made little progress as Israel has expanded its air and ground offensive.. World Central Kitchen, the charity run by celebrity chef José Andrés, says it has resumed the distribution of hot meals in Gaza.
The military did not provide any details about the recovery operation, and it was unclear if the airstrike was related to it.
“The campaign to return the hostages continues consistently and is happening alongside the campaign against Iran ,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement.
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Kobi Samerano said in a Facebook post that his son’s remains were returned on what would have been Yonatan’s 23rd birthday.
War in Gaza rages on as new front opens with Iran
Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted 251 people in the Oct. 7 attack. More than half the hostages have been returned in ceasefire agreements or other deals, eight have been rescued alive and Israeli forces have recovered dozens of bodies.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed over 55,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which has said that women and children make up more than half of the dead. It does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
Four people were killed on Sunday in an airstrike in the built-up Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, according to Al-Awda Hospital, where the bodies were brought. It said another 22 people were wounded while waiting for aid trucks.
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Palestinian witnesses and health officials say Israeli forces have repeatedly opened fire on crowds seeking desperately needed food, killing hundreds of people in recent weeks . The military says it has fired warning shots at people it said approached its forces in a suspicious manner.
Separately, World Central Kitchen, the charity run by celebrity chef José Andrés said it had resumed the distribution of hot meals in Gaza for the first time in six weeks after shutting down because of Israel’s blockade, which was loosened last month amid fears of famine .
Hostage families call for their release
The Oct. 7 attack and Israel’s offensive ignited a chain of events leading to Israel’s surprise attack on Iran last week. The United States entered the war overnight with attacks on three Iranian nuclear sites.
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The Hostages Families Forum, the main organization representing families of the hostages, has repeatedly called for a deal to release the remaining captives.
“Particularly against the backdrop of current military developments and the significant achievements in Iran, we want to emphasize that bringing back the remaining 50 hostages is the key to achieving any sort of victory,” it said in a statement Sunday.
Hamas has said it will only release the remaining hostages in return for more Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
Netanyahu has rejected those terms, saying Israel will continue the war until all the hostages are returned and Hamas is defeated or disarmed and sent into exile. Even then, he has said Israel will maintain lasting control over Gaza and facilitate what he refers to as the voluntary emigration of much of its population, plans the Palestinians and others view as forcible expulsion.
The United States, Qatar and Egypt have been trying to broker a new ceasefire and hostage release after Israel ended a truce in March with a surprise wave of airstrikes. Those talks appear to have made little progress as Israel has expanded its air and ground offensive.
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Magdy reported from Cairo.
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Israeli forces recover remains of three hostages from Gaza
Yonatan Samerano, 21; Ofra Keidar, 70; and Shay Levinson, 19, were killed in the attack. The militant group still holds 50 hostages, of whom only 20 are believed to be alive. The families of the hostages have repeatedly called for a deal to release the remaining captives. Israel’s war in Gaza has killed more than 55,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, which has said women and children make up more than half of the dead.
The military identified the remains as those of Yonatan Samerano, 21; Ofra Keidar, 70; and Shay Levinson, 19.
All three were killed when Hamas militants stormed across the border into Israel on 7 October 2023, an act which ignited the ongoing war.
The militant group still holds 50 hostages, of whom only 20 are believed to be alive.
“The campaign to return the hostages continues consistently and is happening alongside the campaign against Iran,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.
Israel’s military did not provide any details about the recovery operation.
Mr Samerano’s father Kobi said in a Facebook post that his son’s remains were returned on what would have been his 23rd birthday.
The Hostages Families Forum, which is the main organisation representing the families of the hostages, has repeatedly called for a deal to release the remaining captives.
“Particularly against the backdrop of current military developments and the significant achievements in Iran, we want to emphasise that bringing back the remaining 50 hostages is the key to achieving any sort of victory,” it said.
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Hamas has said it will only release the remaining hostages in return for more Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
Mr Netayahu has rejected the group’s terms, saying Israel will continue the war until all hostages are returned and Hamas is defeated or disarmed.
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Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted 251 people during the 7 October 2023 attack.
More than half of the hostages have been returned in ceasefire agreements or other deals, eight have been rescued alive and Israeli forces have recovered dozens of bodies.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 1:25 British medics fighting to save lives in Gaza
Israel’s war in Gaza has killed more than 55,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, which has said women and children make up more than half of the dead. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count.
Israel recovers remains of three more bodies held by Hamas: ‘No victory until last hostage returns’
Israel recovered the bodies of three more hostages held by Hamas following the terror group’s attack on Israel in October 2023. The bodies of Ofra Keidar, Yonatan Samerano and Shay Levinson were recovered during a special operation carried out by the IDF and the Israel Security Agency (ISA) The IDF credited “precise intelligence received from the ISA, the Hostage Task Force, and the IDF Intelligence Directorate” and said it will continue to make all efforts possible to bring home all the hostages. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said the return of all hostages is essential for national healing and recovery. The IDF confirmed that the three hostages’ remains had been recovered from Gaza and have been identified as OfraKeidar,. YonatanSamerano, and ShayLevinson. The Israeli Defense Forces also confirmed that they had recovered the remains of three hostages from Gaza.
Israel recovered the bodies of three more hostages held by Hamas following the terror group’s attack on Israel in October 2023.
The remains of the three hostages were recovered by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) during a special operation on Saturday and have been identified as Ofra Keidar, Yonatan Samerano and Shay Levinson, according to the Hostages and Missing Families Forum Headquarters.
“Our hearts are with the Keidar, Samerano, and Levinson families today,” the organization said. “Alongside the grief and pain, their return provides some comfort to the families who have waited in agony, uncertainty and doubt for 625 days.”
The group added that the return of all hostages is essential for national healing and recovery.
ISRAELI HOSTAGE FAMILIES MAKE DESPERATE PLEA TO TRUMP AS ‘TIME IS RUNNING OUT’
The Israeli Defense Forces also confirmed that the three hostages’ remains had been recovered from Gaza. The bodies of Keidar, Samerano, and Levinson were recovered during a special operation carried out by the IDF and the Israel Security Agency (ISA) on Saturday.
The IDF credited “precise intelligence received from the ISA, the Hostage Task Force, and the IDF Intelligence Directorate” and said it extends “condolences to the families and will continue to make all efforts possible to bring home all the hostages.”
Keidar, a resident of Kibbutz Be’eri, was kidnapped on Oct. 7, 2023, by Hamas terrorists “while taking her usual morning walk through the fields she loved,” according to the Hostage Families Forum.
She worked on a dairy farm for 30 years, caring for newborn calves and “was a dedicated worker with exceptional physical strength,” the organization said.
“Later, she moved to the local petting zoo, where she worked for 15 years, and even after reaching retirement age, she never slowed down.”
“Anyone who visited her home could see her greatest loves, aside from her family – her dogs, especially poodles, and tending to her garden and houseplants,” the forum added.
The IDF noted that Keidar, who was 71 at the time of her death, “was a mother of three and the wife of Shmuel Keidar, who was also murdered by Hamas terrorists in their home in Be’eri.”
HAMAS AGREES TO RETURN BODIES OF 4 ISRAELI HOSTAGES IN EXCHANGE FOR HUNDREDS OF PALESTINIAN PRISONERS
Samerano, who was 21 at the time of his death, “was brutally murdered and abducted from Kibbutz Be’eri on October 7, 2023, by Hamas terrorists, including a UNRWA employee, after fleeing the Nova music festival,” according to the IDF.
Yonatan, or “Yonati” as his friends and family called him, “was always surrounded by friends – a talented DJ who just wanted to make music, bring joy, and travel,” the Hostage Families Forum said.
“Even at his young age, he was an entrepreneur at heart and a savvy businessman who dreamed of developing his career in event production.”
Levinson, a staff sergeant and tank commander in the “Oz” (77) Battalion, “engaged and fought terrorists on the morning of October 7 and fell in combat,” according to the IDF.
“He was then abducted by Hamas terrorists.”
Levinson, who was 19 years old at the time of his death, is remembered as “a quiet and exceptional young man – ambitious and driven, who pushed himself to excel in sports and every field that interested him,” the Hostage Families Forum said.
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“Shay, a resident of Givat Avni in the Lower Galilee, was an outstanding player on the M.S. Eilabun volleyball team – a team that serves as a model for Jewish-Arab cooperation,” according to the organization.
“Shay chose to forgo the opportunity to receive active athlete status and instead chose meaningful combat service in the IDF.”