The IDF recovered the bodies of three hostages from the Gaza Strip, the military announced on Sunday: Yonatan Samerano, Shay Levinson, and Ofra Keidar, who were confirmed dead by the military and held in Hamas captivity since the October 7 massacre.
Ofra Keidar was murdered alongside her husband, Sami, on Kibbutz Be'eri on October 7, and her body was taken to Gaza. She was 71 years old and a mother of three. Her death was confirmed in December 2023.
Keidar, along with Inbar Haiman, was the only female hostage left in Hamas captivity. Haiman was killed in captivity, her family confirmed in December 2023.
Yonatan Samerano, 21 years old, attended the Nova Music Festival at Re'im, and when the attacks began, he fled to Be'eri, where he was killed and kidnapped to Gaza by terrorists.
Shay Levinson was a tank commander in the 77th "Oz" Battalion in the 7th Armored Brigade. He was killed on October 7, but his death was only determined in January 2024.
According to reports, Levinson was in a tank that was caught by surprise when Hamas terrorists crossed the border in the early morning of October 7. His tank managed to kill around 15 terrorists with shells before being overwhelmed.
Netanyahu says campaign to return hostages 'continues without pause'
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered his condolences and thanked the commanders and soldiers who took part in the operation in an official statement.
“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 then expressed that “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 on Sunday, the military said that IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir expressed appreciation for the forces operating to rescue hostages in the Gaza Strip, in parallel to Operation Rising Lion.
He added 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.”
Sarah Ben-Nun contributed to this report.