The IDF expressed its condolences to the families and reaffirmed its commitment to exhausting all efforts to return all remaining hostages.
By Gila Isaacson, JFeed
The IDF has officially permitted the release of details regarding a special military operation conducted on Saturday, June 21, 2025.
In a coordinated effort by the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), IDF Southern Command, and the Gaza Division, the bodies of three hostages, Ofra Keidar z”l, Yonatan Samerano z”l, and Sergeant First Class Shai Levinson z”l, were recovered from the Gaza Strip.
This operation, enabled by precise intelligence from the Shin Bet, the Hostage Headquarters, and the Intelligence Directorate, reduces the number of hostages still held in Gaza to 50, with 20 confirmed alive.
Additionally, the body of one woman, Inbar Haiman, remains unrecovered.
The recovery was confirmed following identification procedures conducted by the Israel Police and the Military Rabbinate, with representatives from the IDF Human Resources Division notifying the families and the community of Be’eri.
The IDF expressed its condolences to the families and reaffirmed its commitment to exhausting all efforts to return all remaining hostages.
Details of the Hostages:
Ofra Keidar z”l: A 71-year-old resident of Kibbutz Be’eri, Ofra was brutally murdered and abducted from her home on October 7, 2023, by Hamas terrorists.
She was the mother of three and the wife of Shmuel Keidar z”l, who was also killed by Hamas on the same day in their Be’eri home.
Yonatan Samerano z”l: Aged 21 at the time of his death, Yonatan was murdered and abducted from Kibbutz Be’eri on October 7, 2023, by Hamas terrorists, including an UNRWA employee, after fleeing the Nova music festival.
Sergeant First Class Shai Levinson z”l: A 19-year-old tank commander in the 77th “Oz” Battalion, Shai fought Hamas terrorists on the morning of October 7, 2023, fell in battle, and was subsequently abducted by the group.
As reported by Doron Kadosh, “Sergeant First Class Shai Levinson served as a fighter in the 77th Battalion and fell in battle on the morning of October 7.
The tank crew he commanded eliminated dozens of terrorists who had infiltrated Israeli territory. He was 19 years old at the time of his death.
Shai, a resident of Givat Avni in the Lower Galilee, was an outstanding player on the Ilabun volleyball team. He gave up the opportunity to receive the status of an active athlete and instead chose meaningful combat service in the IDF.
Shai was a quiet and quality individual, ambitious and achievement-oriented, pushing himself to excel in sports and every field that interested him. Shai was a man of peace, who believed in coexistence and shared living as a way of life.”
The recovery brings closure to some families while intensifying the focus on the 50 remaining hostages, 20 of whom are thought to still be alive.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said:
“In an operation by the Shin Bet and the IDF in the Gaza Strip, the bodies of three of our hostages, held by the murderous terrorist organization Hamas, were returned to Israel: Yonatan Samerano, Sergeant First Class Shai Levinson, and Ofra Keidar, may their memories be a blessing, who were murdered and abducted on October 7, 2023.
Together with all Israeli citizens, my wife and I extend our heartfelt condolences to the dear families and share in their profound grief.
I thank our commanders and fighters for their successful operation, their determination, and their courage.
The campaign to return the hostages continues relentlessly and is being conducted in parallel with the campaign against Iran.We will not rest until we bring all our hostages home, both the living and the fallen.”
