The IDF and Shin Bet recovered the bodies of three Israeli hostages from the Gaza Strip: Ofra Keidar, Yonatan Samrano and Sgt. Shay Levinson. The mission was led by Shin Bet and carried out with the IDF’s Gaza Division in a joint operation, the military reported Sunday.
Ofra Keidar, 71, a mother of three from Kibbutz Be’eri, was abducted and brutally murdered during her morning walk on October 7. Her husband, Shmuel, was also murdered in their home. Her death was officially confirmed in December 2023.
Yonatan Samrano, 23, was kidnapped from the Nova music festival and later taken to Be’eri with two friends, Benayahu Biton and Maor Graziani, who were both murdered at the kibbutz. His death was also confirmed in December 2023.
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Sgt. Shai Levinson, 19, a tank commander in the IDF’s Armored Corps’ 77th Battalion, was killed in combat on the morning of October 7 while fighting Hamas terrorists. His death was confirmed in January 2024.
According to Israeli officials, the operation was made possible thanks to advanced intelligence capabilities. Once the identities of the bodies were confirmed and the hostage’s families were notified.
With the recovery of Keidar’s body, Inbar Haiman remains the last female hostage still in Hamas captivity.