BlogHear.com | June 22, 2025
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed on Saturday that the bodies of three Israeli hostages—Yonatan Samrano, Ofra Kedar, and Staff Sgt Shai Levinson—have been recovered from the Gaza Strip during a military operation.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced the recovery but did not disclose the specific location in Gaza where the operation took place. These developments bring the total number of recovered hostage bodies to eight in the past month.
“I thank our commanders and fighters for a successful operation, for their determination and courage,” Netanyahu said in a statement released by his office.
He reiterated the government’s commitment to continuing efforts to bring back all hostages:
“We will not rest until we return all of our abductees home—both the living and the dead.”
Victims’ Backgrounds
According to the IDF, Ofra Kedar, 71, was killed during an attack on a kibbutz and her body was taken into Gaza. Staff Sgt Shai Levinson, 19, was reportedly killed in action while engaging Hamas fighters on October 7, 2023.
Yonatan Samrano, who was also taken hostage during the October attack, would have turned 23 on the day his remains were recovered.
His father, Kobi Samrano, wrote on Instagram:
“Yesterday was Yonati’s Hebrew birthday. On his 23rd birthday, on the very day he was born, our Yonati was rescued in a heroic operation by the brave soldiers of the IDF and the Shin Bet.”
Hostage Families Respond
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which represents relatives of those kidnapped, issued a statement expressing both sorrow and gratitude:
“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 emphasized the importance of retrieving the remaining 50 hostages, 31 of whom are believed to be dead.
“There will be no victory until the last hostage returns,” the statement read.
Ongoing Conflict
The operation comes amid Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza, which began following the Hamas-led cross-border attack on October 7, 2023, where 1,200 Israelis were killed and 251 people were taken hostage.
According to Gaza’s health ministry, at least 54,677 people have been killed during Israel’s military operations in the territory since then.
Despite efforts by international mediators to negotiate a ceasefire and hostage release, progress has been limited.
As of Sunday, 54 hostages are still held in Gaza, with 31 presumed dead, according to Israeli military estimates.
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