Latest news with #Yonatan
Hindustan Times
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Israeli military finds bodies of 3 hostages held by Hamas in Gaza
The Israeli military has recovered the bodies of three hostages, including the 21-year-old Yonatan Samerano, who were held in the Gaza Strip. Yonatan's father expressed gratitude towards the the Israel government, and the country's security forces.(via REUTERS) "Yesterday was Yonati's Hebrew birthday. On his 23rd birthday, the day he was born, our Yonati was rescued in the heroic operation of the IDF and the heroic GSS soldiers,' Yonatan's father, Kobi Samerano, said in a Facebook post. 'From the first moment, I believed, with all my heart, that our army would return my son. I didn't stop believing, and so it happened,' added Kobi Samerano on his Facebook post, as he further expressed gratitude towards the Israeli government, the Prime Minister, the country's security forces and the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) soldiers. The other two bodies have been identified as those of Ofra Keidar (70), and Shay Levinson (19). All of them were killed during Hamas' attack on Israel on Oct 7, 2023, that triggered the ongoing war-like situation. According to a report by The Jerusalem Post, Levinson was a tank commander in the 77th "Oz" Battalion in the 7th Armoured Brigade, and was taken by Hamas when the terrorists crossed the border in the early hours of Oct 7. His tank managed to kill around 15 terrorists with shells before being overwhelmed. Hamas is still believed to hold around 50 hostages, more than half of which are assumed to be dead. 'The campaign to return the hostages continues consistently and is happening alongside the campaign against Iran,' said Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a statement. According to a report by AP, on the Oct 7 attack, militants from Hamas had abducted around 251 and killed over 1,200 people, that comprised mostly civilians. A large number of the hostages were returned during the past ceasefire agreements.
Saba Yemen
18-04-2025
- Politics
- Saba Yemen
Families of Israeli prisoners welcome Hamas' position on comprehensive deal
Occupied Quds - Saba: On Friday, a number of families of Israeli prisoners welcomed the position of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), which rejects partial deals and calls for a comprehensive agreement to end the war and guarantee the release of prisoners from both sides. Kobi Samrano, the father of prisoner Yonatan, said that Hamas's proposal represents a real opportunity that the Israeli government must seize instead of evading. He added, "We need a deal that ends this war, not just temporary solutions." Facebook Whatsapp Telegram Email Print
Yahoo
27-01-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Arizona siblings visit Poland to learn more about their Jewish family history
The Brief Two siblings who attend Arizona State visited Poland recently to learn more about their Jewish family history. Their great-grandmother escaped the holocaust, and although she told them stories, some of the details were too much for her to recount. The siblings were able to fill in the gaps during their trip, while also learning more about other ancestors. PHOENIX - Monday, Jan. 27, marks International Holocaust Remembrance Day as 80 years ago, Auschwitz was liberated. The backstory Stories of surviving the Holocaust circle the globe to this day, and one of those stories comes from siblings who attend ASU. They're the first in their family to visit Poland since their grandmother escaped as a teenager. Yonatan Rosenbloom says the trip not only helped him and his sister Ilanit Rosenbloom connect the dots on some of their family history, but it showed them the strength of the Jewish people as a whole before, during and since the evil of the Holocaust. The two recently returned from perhaps the most important Chanukah trip of their lives. "It was an incredibly emotional trip. I don't think I expected myself to get as emotional as I was," Yonatan said. The emotion was connected to the siblings' ancestors, including those who fled the horrors of the Holocaust. "My dad's grandmother, so my great-grandmother and her brother, they fled Łódź, Poland," Yonatan said. He says the trip to Poland, organized by Chabad on Campus International, allowed them to learn more about their heritage than what they knew from their great-grandmother's stories. "Every time we tried to ask more questions, she'd get really upset and angry, didn't want to talk about it," Yonatan said, "Rightfully so." The Rosenblooms knew their great-grandmother was in a work camp for some time, but eventually made it to Israel. This trip gave them some closure as to what happened to their other ancestors. "We found who we think is my great-grandmother's brother there. It was the correct date of birth, the correct city of origin, and the correct name, so we're pretty confident it was him. Then we also found who we think may have been her parents as well. Also cause of death unknown," Yonatan explained. But while the trip shows what was lost, it also shows the beauty of the Jewish culture that rose above the atrocities. "This trip, in addition to going to the concentration camps and showing what happened there and seeing and experiencing the sights, they learn about the communities that were there before the war and the vibrant Jewish life that existed there," said Rabbi Shmuel Tiechtel, Executive Director of the Chabad at ASU. Big picture view The hope is that students will educate others upon returning to America. "I'm very in tune with my Judaism as is, but going here made me realize that it's not just who I am, but it's important to share that with others as well," Yonatan said. He said one of the most emotional moments of the trip was seeing the Star of David carved into the wood in the concentration camp barracks. A sign of commitment to their faith and heritage even in the darkest of times.
