People react as they gather to watch a live stream reporting on the release of Israeli-American soldier hostage Edan Alexander, in hostages square outside the Kirya military base in Tel Aviv, Israel, in May. File photo Abir Sultan/EPA-EFE
June 22 (UPI) — The bodies of three Israeli hostages have been recovered from the Gaza Strip, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.
Yonatan Samrano, Ofra Keidar and Staff Sgt. Shai Levinson’s remains were retrieved Saturday as part of a military operation.
Keidar, 71, was killed at a kibbutz and her remains were taken into Gaza. Levinson, who engaged in the Oct. 7th attack, was 19 at the time of this death, according to the IDF. Samerano’s remains were discovered by the Israeli army.
“I thank our commanders and fighters for a successful operation, for their determination and courage,” Netanyahu said following the return of the remains.
The Israel Defense Forces has recovered a total of eight bodies from Gaza this month as the latest battle between the two adversaries ignited on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a cross-border attack on Israel, killing more than 1,200 people and taking 251 others hostage.
The return of the hostage remains comes amid a U.S. attack on three Iranian nuclear facilities Sunday, which bolsters Israel’s efforts to cripple Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Israel has recently started its own attacks on Iran.
“The campaign to return the abductees continues continuously and is taking place in parallel with the campaign against Iran,” Netanyahu continued. “We will not rest until we return all our abductees home — both the living and the dead.”
The IDF did not say where the remains were recovered.