Tue Feb 18th, 2025

Israel recovers body of soldier Oron Shaul, kidnapped more than ten years ago in Gaza

Oron Shaul z"l Photo: Israel Defense Forces

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced today, Sunday, that its troops have recovered the body of First Sergeant Oron Shaul, who fell in combat in the Gaza Strip and was captured by the Palestinian Islamic terrorist group Hamas in 2014.

The announcement came just hours before a ceasefire with Hamas in the coastal enclave is set to come into effect.

The operation to recover the soldier's body was carried out jointly with the Shabak (General Security Service) intelligence agency, with the notable participation of several special forces, including the marine commando, known as the "Shayetet 13", and another elite unit of Military Intelligence.

“Last night, in a special operation by the Shabak (also known as Shin Bet) and the IDF, before the ceasefire went into effect, we returned to Israel the body of Golani Brigade fighter Oron Shaul,” the military spokesman said.

The IDF did not specify when the rescue operation took place or where in Gaza the body was found.

Shaul's remains were identified this morning by the Abu Kabir National Institute of Forensic Medicine and family members were notified. The IDF did not specify where the body was recovered.

On July 20, 2014, in the context of the war against Hamas that year, troops from the 13th Battalion of the Golani Infantry Brigade entered the Shejaiya neighborhood of Gaza City in an M-113 armored personnel carrier. The armored personnel carrier got stuck in one of the narrow alleys, and during attempts to extricate it, the soldiers were attacked by Hamas terrorists who fired anti-tank missiles at them.

Seven Israeli soldiers were killed in the fighting, including Oron Shaul, whose body was removed from the scene by Hamas operatives.

Shaul was killed in combat in Gaza City during the 2014 Israel-Hamas war, and his body was held by the Islamic terrorist group along with that of Hadar Goldin.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu congratulated the forces for the rescue operation and sent a message of support to Shaul's family.

“Last night we completed the mission of bringing back Oron, and we will not rest or remain silent until we also complete the mission of bringing back Hadar Goldin (the other soldier whose body remains held captive by Hamas in 2014),” the president said in a message accompanied by photographs of both soldiers.

The IDF said efforts to bring back Shaul's body had continued for a decade and were maintained during the ongoing war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

The news comes as the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas in Gaza is due to come into effect at 8.30:XNUMX a.m., although Netanyahu has already warned that the truce will not begin until Hamas hands over the list of the first three hostages to be released.

Agencies contributed to this Aurora article

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