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Saturday night’s rescue operation was carried out by the Shin Bet, IDF forces under the Southern Command, and the Gaza Division.
Israeli forces operating in the Gaza Strip have retrieved the remains of three slain hostages held captive by Gazan terrorists, the IDF and Shin Bet internal security agency announced Sunday morning.
In a special operation conducted by the Shin Bet and the IDF, the bodies of hostages Ofra Kedar, Yonatan Samerano, and IDF Staff Sergeant Shai Levinson were recovered from the Gaza Strip on Saturday night, the army and Shin Bet said in a joint statement.
Kedar, 71, was a member of Kibbutz Be’eri, one of the towns near the Gaza border which was overrun by Gazan terrorists on October 7th, 2023.
She was murdered by Gazan terrorists during the invasion, and her body taken to Gaza and held captive.
A mother of three, Kedar’s husband, Shmuel, was also killed during the October 7th invasion in the couple’s home in Be’eri.
Yonatan Samerano, 21, was murdered on October 7th, 2023, after attending the Nova music festival outside of Re’im.
Samerano managed to flee the massacre at the music festival, but was murdered in Kibbutz Be’eri.
His body was seized by Gazan terrorists and held captive in the coastal enclave. An employee of the United Nations agency UNRWA was involved in the abduction.
IDF Staff Sergeant Shai Levinson, a tank commander in the “Oz” Battalion (77th), was killed while fighting terrorists on the morning of October 7th, 2023.
His remains were taken by Hamas terrorists to the Gaza Strip and held captive. Shai was 19 years old when he was killed.
Saturday night’s rescue operation was carried out by the Shin Bet, IDF forces under the Southern Command, and the Gaza Division.
The operation was facilitated by intelligence provided by the Shin Bet, the Hostage Headquarters, and the Military Intelligence Directorate.
Following an identification process conducted by the Israel Police and the Military Rabbinate, the bodies were identified, and representatives from the IDF’s Manpower Directorate delivered the notifications to the families and the Be’eri community.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered his condolences to the families of Kedar, Levinson, and Samerano.
“In an ISA and IDF operation in the Gaza Strip, the bodies of three of our hostages, which had been held by the murderous Hamas terrorist organization, have been returned to Israel: Yonatan Samerano, Staff Sgt. Shai Levinson and Ofra Kedar, who were murdered and taken hostage on 7 October 2023,” the prime minister said.
“Together with all citizens of Israel, my wife and I convey our heartfelt condolences to the dear families, and share in their deep sorrow. I thank the commander and our fighters for the successful action, their determination and their courage.”
“The campaign to return the hostages is ongoing and is continuing in parallel to our campaign against Iran. We will not rest until we return home all of our hostages, the living and the deceased.”
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