The Army said on Sunday that during military operations, Israeli troops recovered the bodies of three hostages from the Gaza Strip.
The remains were found in the coastal areas on Saturday during a joint special operation by the military and domestic intelligence agency Shin Bet.
The military said it was possible to make recovery possible with “precise intelligence information.”
The recovered corpses belong to Ofra Keidar, Jonathan Samerano and Shay Levinson.
Keidar is reportedly from Kibbutz Be’eri in southern Israel. The settlement is only about 3-4 km from the Gaza Strip.
Keidar was killed in the massacre led by the Palestinian militant group Hamas on October 7, 2023, and her body was taken to the Gaza Strip, according to the Army.
Samerano reportedly participated in the Rising Star Music Festival during the Holocaust. He fled to Kibbutz Be’eri and was killed by extremists on the way. According to the military, Levinson served in the army and fell in battle. His body was also taken to the Gaza Strip.
German Ambassador to Israel Steffen Seibert said Levinson also has German citizenship. Sebert expressed condolences to Levinson’s family.
“Our hearts are with the Keidar, Samerano and Levinson families today. Apart from sadness and pain, their return is a certain comfort for families who endured 625 days of fear, uncertainty and doubt.”
The forum thanked the authorities but also called for a quick return to the rest of the hostages.
The hostages remain in the Gaza Strip for a year and a half after the beginning of the Gaza War.
After Keidar, Samerano and Levinson recovered, Israeli officials still believe 50 hostages were held in the Gaza Strip, with less than half of them allegedly believed to be alive.
