In a joint operation carried out overnight between Saturday and Sunday, the Shin Bet and the IDF recovered the bodies of three hostages—Ofra Kedar, Yonatan Samrano, and Sergeant Shai Levinson—from the Gaza Strip. The Shin Bet led the mission in coordination with the IDF’s Gaza Division.
According to a statement from the Shin Bet, “The operation was made possible through the unique intelligence and operational capabilities of the General Security Service, following extensive and advanced intelligence work. Special capabilities were deployed to ensure the success of the mission.”
Following the identification of the bodies, the families of the three were notified. Approximately 50 hostages remain in Gaza, with at least 20 believed to be alive.
The Families’ Headquarters for the Return of the Hostages responded to the recovery saying their return after 625 days brought “some kind of comfort for the families who have endured the agony of uncertainty and doubt.” The headquarters expressed deep gratitude to the IDF and security forces “who acted with dedication and courage.”
They further stated that “given the current security reality and significant achievements in Iran, securing the return of the remaining 50 hostages is key to achieving a complete Israeli victory.”
According to the group, Israel now faces a “historic window of opportunity,” where “significant regional accomplishments allow the war to end from a position of clear strength.” They stressed that “there will be no victory until the last hostage is brought home.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement acknowledging the return of the hostages’ remains: “In an operation by the Shin Bet and the IDF in the Gaza Strip, the bodies of three of our hostages who were held by the murderous terrorist organization Hamas were returned to Israel: Yonatan Samarno, Sergeant Shai Levinson, and Ofra Kedar, of blessed memory, who were murdered and abducted on October 7, 2023.”
Netanyahu offered condolences to the families and thanked the forces involved. “The campaign to return the hostages continues without pause, even as we confront Iran. We will not rest until we bring all our kidnapped people home—both the living and the dead,” he said.
Yonatan Samarno had escaped the Nova music festival on October 7 with two friends and fled to Kibbutz Be’eri. His friends were murdered, and Samarno was shot and declared a hostage. Nearly two months later, on a Shabbat, his family was informed he had been murdered.
Ofra Kedar, 71, was on her regular morning walk in Bari on October 7 when she was attacked. Two months later, it was confirmed that she had been murdered and her body taken to Gaza. Her husband Sami was killed in their home the same day, and his caregiver was injured.
Sergeant Shai Levinson, a soldier in the 77th Battalion of the IDF’s 7th Armored Brigade, was killed in battle on October 7. His body remained in Gaza until it was permitted to publicly confirm in January 2024—106 days later—that he was among the war dead.
