The Israeli military says it has recovered the bodies of three captives held in Gaza since the October 2023 Hamas-led attack, as airstrikes and ground operations in the besieged enclave killed at least 33 Palestinians on Sunday, according to health officials.

In a statement, the Israeli army said the bodies of Ofra Keidar, 71, Yonatan Samerano, 21, and soldier Shay Levinson, 19, were retrieved during a “special operation” in Gaza. All three were killed during the October 7 assault and taken into the strip, according to military and family sources.

Samerano’s father confirmed earlier on Sunday that his son, who was murdered during the attack, had been recovered by Israeli forces. Keidar, a mother of three, and Levinson, a tank commander, were also killed during the initial wave of violence, the army said.

The October 2023 attack on southern Israel by Hamas and allied fighters left more than 1,100 people dead and around 250 taken captive, according to Israeli authorities. Israeli media report that at least 50 hostages remain in Gaza, with 20 believed to be alive.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu linked Israel’s ongoing conflict with Iran to its military goals in Gaza, stating: “We are getting closer, step by step, to our objectives: defeating Hamas and bringing our hostages home… I am convinced that the operation in Iran is helping us achieve our objective in Gaza.”

Hamas, meanwhile, reiterated its offer to release all Israeli captives in return for a permanent ceasefire, a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and the release of Palestinian prisoners. Israel has rejected the terms and continued its offensive.

Since the start of the war, more than 56,000 Palestinians—mostly women and children—have been killed, according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health. The United Nations and international rights groups have condemned the scale of destruction, describing the campaign as a possible genocide.

In recent weeks, humanitarian conditions have worsened. Palestinians seeking aid have come under fire, with more than 400 reportedly killed and nearly 2,000 wounded since the US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation began distributing supplies last month.

On Sunday alone, at least 33 Palestinians were killed by Israeli strikes, including six people shot while attempting to access aid, hospital sources told Al Jazeera. Gaza’s health ministry said 51 people were killed in the past 24 hours.

Since Israel ended a fragile ceasefire on March 18 and resumed major operations, at least 5,647 Palestinians have been killed and over 19,200 injured, according to Gaza’s health authorities.

Source: Al Jazeera

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