Israeli forces have recovered the bodies of three hostages taken during the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led assault, the Israeli military and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Sunday, as reported by Reuters.
The deceased were identified as civilians Ofra Keidar and Yonatan Samerano, along with soldier Shay Levinson.
Military officials confirmed that all three were killed on the day of the attack and their remains were discovered in the Gaza Strip.
The retrieval brings the number of hostages still held in Gaza down to 50, with only 20 believed to be alive.
Samerano, who was 21 at the time of his abduction, was reportedly taken by an individual identified by Israeli authorities as an employee of the United Nation’s Palestinian refugee agency.
His kidnapping was captured on CCTV footage.
The October 7 attack left around 1,200 people dead and 251 taken hostage, according to Israeli figures.
According to Reuters, the subsequent Israeli campaign against Hamas in Gaza has since killed more than 55,000 Palestinians, according to health authorities in the Hamas-run strip, displaced almost the entire 2.3 million population, plunged the enclave into a humanitarian crisis, and left much of the territory in ruins.
