The bodies of three Israelis taken hostage by Hamas have been recovered, the Israeli government said on Sunday. The announcement jolted Israelis’ focus back to the war in Gaza, which had been overshadowed by the escalating crisis with Iran.
Israeli officials identified the three people as Yonatan Samerano; Ofra Keidar; and Shay Levinson, an Israeli soldier. All three were killed during the Hamas-led attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, and their bodies were taken back to Gaza as bargaining chips.
Approximately 50 out of the roughly 250 hostages captured during Hamas’s attack on southern Israel are believed to still be in Gaza. About 20 of those are believed to still be alive, while the rest are presumed dead, according to the Israeli authorities.
Israel’s war in Gaza has continued apace over the past week, even as most Israelis — along with much of the rest of the international community — have turned their attention to the war with Iran. More than 500 people have been killed in Gaza since the war with Iran began over a week ago, according to the Gaza health ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
Gazans are still living through a seemingly endless humanitarian crisis in which finding enough food and water has become a daily struggle. Desperate scenes of looting of aid trucks have become a near-daily occurrence amid widespread hunger and lawlessness.
Israel and Hamas observed a two-month cease-fire earlier this year that saw 30 hostages freed and the bodies of eight more returned in exchange for more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners. A renewed Israeli assault ended the truce in March.
The Trump administration spent weeks attempting to broker a new truce between Israel and Hamas to free more hostages. But although Hamas turned over Edan Alexander, the last living hostage with American citizenship, U.S. officials’ hopes for a broader deal failed to materialize.
Mr. Samerano, 21, whose body was one of the three recovered by Israeli soldiers, had been attending the Tribe of Nova music festival near the border with Gaza when Hamas militants attacked. He fled with his friends to the nearby kibbutz of Be’eri seeking shelter.
In video footage from the scene, Palestinian gunmen can be seen shooting into their car. Security cameras later captured more assailants dragging Mr. Samerano’s body and loading it into a van.
Be’eri was devastated during the Hamas-led attack: Roughly 100 people were killed and about 30 taken hostage, according to the Israeli authorities. One of the victims was Ms. Keidar, 70. She had left her home for an early morning walk near her house when the attack began, the community said in a brief obituary. Her husband, Shmuel Keidar, was also killed in their home, the community added.
Mr. Levinson, 19, was a tank commander and was killed during the Hamas-led attack, according to the Israeli military. He was a dual German-Israeli citizen, according to the German Foreign Ministry.
“Our hearts are with his family and all others waiting for their loved one’s return. There must be a deal to get them out and end this war,” Steffen Seibert, the German ambassador to Israel, wrote on social media on Sunday.
Aaron Boxerman is a Times reporter covering Israel and Gaza. He is based in Jerusalem.
The post Israeli Soldiers Recovered the Bodies of Three Hostages in Gaza appeared first on New York Times.
