‘The Campaign to Return the Hostages Is Ongoing’: Israel Recovers Remains of 3 Hostages in Gaza

Latest Developments

• 3 Bodies Found: Israel announced on June 22 that the IDF and the Shin Bet had recovered the bodies of three hostages killed and taken to Gaza during the Hamas-led atrocities of October 7, 2023. Jerusalem identified the victims as Yonatan Samerano, 21; Ofra Keidar, 70; and Shay Levinson, 19. Fifty hostages remain in Hamas captivity, of whom Israel believes fewer than 25 are still alive.
• UNRWA Employee Played Role in Capture: Israeli officials previously identified one of Yonatan Samerano’s captors as an employee of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which caters exclusively to the descendants of Palestinian refugees. Thirty UNRWA employees participated in the October 7 massacre, former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant asserted in February 2024. President Trump halted U.S. funding for UNRWA at the start of his second term.
• Recovery Comes as Iran Conflict Continues: While the world’s attention remains focused on the U.S. and Israeli strikes against Iran’s nuclear facilities, Israel has made clear that its efforts to return all remaining hostages from Gaza persist simultaneously. “The campaign to return the hostages is ongoing and is continuing in parallel to our campaign against Iran,” said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on June 22. “We will not rest until we return home all of our hostages, the living and the deceased.”

FDD Expert Response

“The timing of the recovery of the bodies of the three hostages is important and symbolic. While Israel is fighting an existential battle with a foe more than a thousand miles away, it must also work diligently to bring back the hostages who have been brutally held captive for more than 600 days. The return of the hostages is also a reminder of why Israel must continue to fight and can never allow the regime that funded, armed, and trained Hamas to get its hands on nuclear weapons.” — Enia Krivine, Senior Director of FDD Israel’s Program and National Security Network

“While the skies above Iran dominate headlines, dozens of Israelis languish in the dungeons below Gaza. Hamas cruelly treats Israelis, alive and dead, as bargaining chips. Israel’s recovery of the remains of three hostages undercuts Hamas’s negotiating position and gets Israel closer to its goal of releasing the remaining hostages.” — David May, Research Manager and Senior Research Analyst

FDD Background and Analysis

“American Israeli Hostage Edan Alexander Freed From Hamas Captivity,” FDD Flash Brief

“‘Deadline for the Second Phase’: Citing Hostage Conditions, Witkoff Wants Timeframe,” FDD Flash Brief

“Hamas Releases Bodies of Four Slain Hostages to Complete Phase One of Ceasefire,” FDD Flash Brief

“10 Things to Know About the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA),” FDD Insight