Latest news with #OfraKeidar
LeMonde
an hour ago
- Politics
- LeMonde
Israeli military says bodies of three hostages recovered in Gaza
The Israeli military said Sunday, June 22, that it had recovered the bodies of three hostages in Gaza more than 20 months after they were abducted by Hamas militants. "In a special operation (...) the bodies of the hostages Ofra Keidar, Yonatan Samerano and Staff Sergeant Shay Levinson were recovered from the Gaza Strip yesterday," the military said in a statement. Samerano's father had announced earlier Sunday that his son's body, which was taken into Gaza after he was killed in a kibbutz by the territory on October 7, 2023, had been recovered by the Israeli army. He paid tribute to "the brave soldiers of the [Israeli military] and the Shin Bet" security service in a message posted on Instagram. The Israeli campaign group the Hostages and Missing Families Forum described Samerano as "a talented DJ who just wanted to make music, have fun, and travel." Keidar, a 71-year-old mother of three, was a resident of a resident of Kibbutz Be'eri – where over a 100 people were killed. Levinson, a 19-year-old tank commander, "engaged and fought terrorists on the morning of October 7 and fell in combat," a statement from the military said. Following the news, the forum repeated their frequent calls for the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza, writing on social media: "The hostages have no time. We must bring them ALL home, Now!" The attack by the Palestinian militant group Hamas on Israel in October 2023 resulted in the deaths of more than 1,200 people. Of the 251 hostages seized during the assault, 49 are still held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead. Israel's retaliatory military campaign against Hamas has killed at least 55,908 people, mostly civilians, according to the Gaza health ministry in the Hamas-run territory. Released hostages have reported that they were beaten and tortured by Hamas militants, while held in isolation in tunnels snaking underneath Gaza. On Sunday, Israel's President Isaac Herzog called for the "urgent release" of the remaining hostages after the United States carried out strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. "This brave step serves the security and safety of the entire free world. I hope it will lead to a better future for the Middle East - and help advance the urgent release of our hostages held in captivity in Gaza," Herzog wrote on X.
Irish Times
an hour ago
- Politics
- Irish Times
Israel recovers bodies of three hostages from Gaza
Israeli forces have recovered the bodies of three hostages that had been held in the Gaza Strip since the Palestinian militant group Hamas's 2023 attack, the military and prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu said on Sunday. The hostages were identified as civilians Ofra Keidar and Yonatan Samerano, and soldier Shay Levinson. They were killed on the day of the attack , on October 7th, 2023, the military said. With their retrieval, 50 hostages now remain in Gaza, only 20 of whom are believed to be alive. The abduction of Mr Samerano (21) at the time of his death, by a man later identified by Israeli officials as a worker at the UN's Palestinian refugee agency Unrwa , was caught on CCTV. READ MORE About 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage during the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel, according to Israeli authorities. 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 humanitarian crisis and left much of the territory in ruins. [ The beaches here in Israel are full. Just an hour's drive away Palestinians are starving Opens in new window ] Meanwhile in the UK, home secretary Yvette Cooper is expected to move to proscribe Palestine Action in coming days after an incident on Friday at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire when two aircraft were spray-painted. Trade secretary Jonathan Reynolds said on Sunday it was the fourth attack by the group on key UK defence assets and that those interfering over a period of time with defence infrastructure should expect 'a very robust response'. 'I would also say those people do no service to the Palestinian cause, which is a noble one,' Mr Reynolds told the BBC. But reports of a move to proscribe the group, which would in effect label it as a terrorist organisation, have been met criticism from some, including MPs, Amnesty International and former Scottish first minister Humza Yousaf. A Thames Valley police investigation into the incident has been taken over by counter-terrorism police, while the ministry of defence said it was reviewing security at its bases. Palestine Action released a short video showing two people driving electric scooters unimpeded inside the airbase at night and spraying two military planes. The group said it had targeted RAF Voyager aircraft used for transport and refuelling, and that 'activists have interrupted Britain's direct participation in the commission of genocide and war crimes across the Middle East'. [ Dublin school cancels 'Prayer for Palestine Day' amid 'differing opinions' Opens in new window ] During a protest march in London on Saturday, Mr Yousaf accused the UK government of 'abusing' anti-terror laws against Palestine Action. He later said on X: 'If the UK Government believes those protesting against the atrocities in Gaza are terrorists, but those killing children should be supported and provided with weapons, then this Government has not only lost its way, it has lost its conscience.' Palestine Action was founded in 2020 by Huda Ammori, whose father is Palestinian, and Richard Barnard, a left-wing activist. The organisation, which focuses its campaigns on multinational arms dealers and corporate banks, recently targeted a factory in Shenstone, Staffordshire, claiming it made drones for the Israeli army. – Reuters, Guardian
NDTV
2 hours ago
- Politics
- NDTV
Israeli Forces Recover Bodies Of Three Hostages From Gaza
Jerusalem: Israeli forces have recovered the bodies of three hostages which had been held in the Gaza Strip since the Palestinian group Hamas' 2023 attack, the military and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday. The hostages were identified as civilians Ofra Keidar and Yonatan Samerano, and soldier Shay Levinson. All were killed on the day of the attack, on October 7, 2023, the military said. With their retrieval, 50 hostages now remain in Gaza, only 20 of whom are believed to be alive. The abduction of Samerano, 21 at the time of his death, by a man later identified by Israeli officials as a worker at the UN's Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA, was caught on CCTV. Around 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage during the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel, according to Israeli authorities. 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 humanitarian crisis and left much of the territory in ruins.
LBCI
3 hours ago
- Politics
- LBCI
Israeli army says bodies of three hostages recovered in Gaza
The Israeli military said Sunday that it had recovered the bodies of three hostages in Gaza more than 20 months after they were abducted by Hamas militants. "In a special operation... the bodies of the hostages Ofra Keidar, Yonatan Samerano, and Staff Sergeant Shay Levinson were recovered from the Gaza Strip yesterday," the military said in a statement. AFP
New York Times
3 hours ago
- Politics
- New York Times
Israeli Soldiers Recovered the Bodies of Three Hostages in Gaza
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. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
