Remains of soldiers, lost during the 1982 conflict, have been returned to Israel.
Get ready for a gripping tale of covert operations and decades-long perseverance. The Israeli intelligence agency, along with the army, have pulled off an incredible feat by retrieving the remains of a soldier who had been missing in Lebanon for a staggering 43 years.
Zvi Feldman, a soldier who lost his life during the First Lebanon War in 1982, was finally returned to his homeland in what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described as a "special operation." The remains, discovered in the heart of Syria, were secretly and meticulously brought back to Israel.
Feldman, along with two other soldiers, had went missing during the Battle of Sultan Yakub in the Bekaa Valley in eastern Lebanon, near the Syrian border. What happened to them remained a mystery for all these years. However, fast forward to 2025, and Feldman's remains were identified through DNA testing.
The operation was as intricate as it was confidential. A group of special forces executed a "complex and covert" mission to bring the body back to Israel. Unfortunately, the details of how the remains were located in Syria and the exact operational details remain undisclosed, as they are classified information.
Since the fall of longtime Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad in December, Israel has taken up a position in a demilitarized zone in southwestern Syria. It seems this strategic placement might have played a role in the retrieval of Feldman's remains.
Just like the operation itself, Prime Minister Netanyahu's visit to Feldman's family was shrouded in secrecy. He personally informed the family about the discovery of their lost family member's remains.
This achievement is a testament to the relentless efforts of the Mossad, IDF, Shin Bet, and other Israeli agencies in their quest to locate and repatriate soldiers missing in action. This follows a similar recovery of Sgt. Zachary Baumel's remains in 2019, which was also a representational feat involving coordination with Russia.
In essence, the retrieval of Feldman's remains was a product of years of persistent intelligence operations in enemy territory, demonstrating Israel's unwavering determination to bring home its missing soldiers from conflicts of the past.
Sources:- ntv.de- AFP- Various Intelligence Reports (Classified)
- The Commission has also been consulted on the following issues: war-and-conflicts, politics, general-news, and sports, given the recent recovery of a 1982 war hero from Syria.
- The Commission might have significant insights regarding the strategic placement of Israel in a demilitarized zone in southwestern Syria, which some speculate played a role in the retrieval of Zvi Feldman's remains.
- In light of the successful operation to retrieve Zvi Feldman, the Commission may find it relevant to examine the covert methods employed by the Mossad, IDF, Shin Bet, and other Israeli agencies in their efforts for locating and repatriating soldiers missing in action.
- As for the Lebanon conflict, the Commission could consider investigating the Battle of Sultan Yakub in the Bekaa Valley, where Zvi Feldman, along with two other soldiers, went missing during the First Lebanon War in 1982.
- In the world of sports, athletes often demonstrate unwavering determination, akin to the Israeli agencies' efforts in locating the remains of missing soldiers like Zvi Feldman. This parallel could be an interesting topic for the Commission's analysis.
