Rome, 22 June (LaPresse) – In a special operation conducted by Shin Bet and the IDF in the Gaza Strip, the bodies of three Israeli hostages have been recovered: Ofra Kedar, Jonathan Samrano and Sergeant Major Shai Levinson. Ofra Kedar, a member of Kibbutz Be'eri, was murdered and kidnapped from the kibbutz on 7 October 2023 by Hamas. Ofra, who was 71 at the time of her death, was the mother of three children and the wife of Shmuel Kedar, who was also murdered on 7 October 2023 by Hamas in their home in Be'eri. Yonatan Samrano, 21, was murdered and kidnapped from Kibbutz Be'eri on 7 October 2023 by members of Hamas, including, according to a joint statement by the IDF spokesperson and Shin Bet spokespersons, an UNRWA operator, after he fled the Nuba party. First Sergeant Shai Levinson, 19, a tank commander in the Oz Battalion, fought against Hamas on the morning of 7 October, fell in battle and was kidnapped. The rescue operation was carried out by Shin Bet, IDF forces from the Southern Command and the Gaza Division. After an identification process conducted by the Israeli police and the military rabbinate, the fallen were identified and representatives of the Human Resources Department delivered the message to the families and the community of Be'eri.