Israeli army claims recovery of bodies of 3 captives in Gaza

The Israeli army claimed Sunday to have recovered the bodies of three captives from the Gaza Strip, Anadolu reports.

In a statement, the army said the bodies of Ofra Keidar, 71, and Jonatan Samerano, 21, were retrieved during a special operation with the Shin Bet security service on Saturday evening.

The statement identified the third captive as Staff Sergeant Shay Levinson, a tank commander in the Oz battalion, who was killed on Oct. 7, 2023.

At least 50 Israeli captives remain in Gaza, with 20 reportedly still alive, according to Israeli media.

The Palestinian resistance group Hamas has repeatedly said that it is ready to release all Israeli captives in exchange for an end to the ongoing war, Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and the release of Palestinian prisoners. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected these terms, and continued his genocidal war on the Gaza Strip.

Rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, the Israeli army has pursued a brutal offensive against Gaza since October 2023, killing more than 55,900 Palestinians, most of them women and children.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.

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