As Israel recovers the bodies of three hostages, how many are still in Gaza? : NPR
Parents and supporters of Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza display photos of the captives during a demonstration requiring their release. In Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday June 21, 2025.
Ohad zwigenberg / ap
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Ohad zwigenberg / ap
Israel said on Sunday that he had recovered the bodies of three other hostages taken during the October 7 attack in Hamas which sparked the war during 20 months in the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli army identified them as Yonatan Samerano, 21; Ofra Keidar, 70 years old; And Shay Levinson, 19. All three were killed during the initial attack and their bodies were taken to Gaza. Kobi Samerano said in an article on Facebook that her son’s remains had been returned to what would have been Yonatan’s 23rd anniversary.
The army has not provided details on the operation. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that Israel has committed to returning the remaining hostages even though he would put a new military campaign against Iran.
The activists led by Hamas killed some 1,200 people, mainly civilians, and took 251 hostages in the October 7 attack. According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, more than 55,000 Palestinians in Gaza, mainly women and children, were killed in the conflict that followed. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
Here are the details on the hostages:
Total hostages captured on October 7, 2023: 251
Hostages taken before the attack on October 7: 4, 2 of which entered Gaza in 2014 and 2015 and the bodies of 2 soldiers killed in the 2014 War
Hostages released in exchanges or other offers: 148, 8 of which died
Hostage body recovered by Israeli forces: 49
Saved hostages alive: 8
Hostages still in captivity: 50, which Israel believes that 27 are dead. Netanyahu said there were “doubts” about the fate of several others.
The hostages in captivity include four non-Israelis: 2 Thaïs and 1 Tanzanian who were confirmed dead and a Nepalese captive.
