Israel says recovered bodies of 3 hostages from Gaza

JERUSALEM -- The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Israel's Shin Bet domestic security agency said in a joint statement on Sunday that they recovered the bodies of three Israeli hostages from the Gaza Strip overnight.

The three were killed during the Hamas attack on southern Israel on Oct 7, 2023. Their bodies were taken to the Gaza Strip and held there since then, according to the statement.

The three victims were IDF soldier Shay Levinson, who was killed at the age of 19, and civilians Ofra Keidar, who was 71, and Yonatan Samerano, who was 21.

The statement noted that the bodies were recovered in a special operation carried out by IDF and Shin Bet troops.

Of the 251 Israelis and foreigners kidnapped alive or dead from Israel to the Gaza Strip, 50 remain in captivity, 20 of whom are considered alive, according to the Israeli army.