In Heroic Operation: Bodies of Three Hostages Recovered from Gaza
In a daring overnight mission on Motzei Shabbos, Israeli forces recovered the bodies of three hostages from Gaza: Ofra Keidar HY”D, Yonatan Samrano HY”D, and Staff Sergeant Shai Levinson HY”D. The mission was carried out by the IDF and Shin Bet, and their remains will now be brought to rest in a proper Jewish burial • Read More
According to a joint statement from the IDF and Shin Bet, the operation was made possible thanks to precise intelligence gathered by the Shin Bet, the Hostage Headquarters, and IDF Intelligence. The extraction was executed by Southern Command and the Gaza Division, utilizing advanced operational capabilities and managed from Shin Bet’s special operations command center in Tel Aviv.
This brings the total number of hostages whose remains have been returned to Israel in recent months to eight, along with one living hostage, Idan Alexander, who was flown to the U.S. on a special evacuation flight last weekend.
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Ofra Keidar HY”D, age 71, was abducted and murdered by Hamas terrorists in Kibbutz Be’eri. Her husband, Shmuel Keidar HY”D, was also murdered that same day in their home. She was a mother of three.
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Yonatan Samrano HY”D, age 21, was kidnapped and killed after escaping the Nova music festival. He was shot near the entrance of Kibbutz Be’eri. Among his captors was reportedly an employee of UNRWA.
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Staff Sergeant Shai Levinson HY”D, age 19, a tank commander in the elite “Oz” (77) battalion, fought heroically on October 7. He and his crew eliminated dozens of terrorists who had infiltrated Israel before he fell in battle and was taken into Gaza.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed his sorrow and gratitude:
“Together with all of Israel, my wife and I send our heartfelt condolences to the grieving families. We share in their deep pain. I thank our commanders and soldiers for a successful operation, for their determination, and for their bravery.
The mission to return our hostages continues without pause — alongside the ongoing campaign against Iran. We will not rest until all our hostages are brought home — the living and the fallen alike.”
Meanwhile, Hamas delegates arrived in Egypt on Saturday night to continue negotiations over a potential hostage deal. However, the terror group is reportedly still insisting on a sweeping agreement — including a ceasefire, Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, reconstruction aid, and the release of all Palestinian prisoners — demands which Israel has rejected, thank G-d.
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