Following the October 2023 attack on Israel, the remains of three more hostages held by Hamas have been recovered by Israel.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) recovered the bodies of Ofra Keidar, Yonatan Samerano, and Shay Levinson during a special operation on Saturday. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum Headquarters has confirmed their identities.

“Our thoughts are with the Keidar, Samerano, and Levinson families today,” the organization stated. “While there is grief and pain, the return of their remains offers some comfort to the families who have been waiting for 625 days in agony, uncertainty and doubt.” 

The group emphasized that the return of all hostages is crucial for national healing and recovery.

 

The IDF also verified the recovery of the three hostages’ remains from Gaza. The operation was conducted jointly by the IDF and the Israel Security Agency (ISA) on Saturday.

The IDF acknowledged the “precise intelligence received from the ISA, the Hostage Task Force, and the IDF Intelligence Directorate” and expressed its “condolences to the families, pledging to continue all possible efforts to bring home all the hostages.”

The Hostage Families Forum reported that Keidar, a resident of Kibbutz Be’eri, was kidnapped by Hamas terrorists on Oct. 7, 2023, “during her regular morning walk through the fields she loved.” 

For 30 years, she worked on a dairy farm, caring for newborn calves, and “was known as a dedicated worker with incredible physical strength,” the organization noted. 

“Later, she transitioned to the local petting zoo, where she worked for 15 years, maintaining an active lifestyle even after reaching retirement age.”

“Anyone visiting her home would immediately recognize her passions – her dogs, especially poodles, and her dedication to her garden and houseplants,” the forum added. 

The IDF stated that Keidar, 71 at the time of her death, “was a mother of three and the wife of Shmuel Keidar, who was also murdered by Hamas in their home in Be’eri.”

According to the IDF, Samerano, 21 at the time of his death, “was brutally murdered and abducted from Kibbutz Be’eri on October 7, 2023, by Hamas terrorists, including an UNRWA employee, after escaping the Nova music festival.” 

The Hostage Families Forum described Yonatan, known as “Yonati” to friends and family, as someone “always surrounded by friends – a talented DJ who simply wanted to create music, spread joy, and travel.” 

“Even at a young age, he displayed entrepreneurial spirit and business acumen, aspiring to build a career in event production.” 

The IDF reported that Levinson, a staff sergeant and tank commander in the “Oz” (77) Battalion, “engaged and fought terrorists on the morning of October 7 and was killed in action.” 

“He was subsequently abducted by Hamas terrorists.” 

The Hostage Families Forum remembers Levinson, 19 years old at the time of his death, as “a quiet and exceptional young man – ambitious and driven, striving for excellence in sports and all his interests.” 

The organization added, “Shay, a resident of Givat Avni in the Lower Galilee, was an outstanding player on the M.S. Eilabun volleyball team – a team that exemplifies Jewish-Arab cooperation.” 

“Shay chose to forgo active athlete status, opting instead for meaningful combat service in the IDF.”

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