Israel Successfully Recovers Soldier's Remains after 43 Years: A "Special" Operation in Syria
Remains of soldiers missing from 1982 Lebanon war handed back by Israel
In a daring mission, Israel's intelligence agency, in collaboration with the Army, has retrieved the remains of an Israeli soldier who had vanished in Lebanon for four decades. Zvi Feldman, a casualty of the First Lebanon War in 1982, has finally been brought home, as announced by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The operation to recover Feldman's remains was based on precise intelligence and involved a complex, concealed process. A special forces team was dispatched to a clandestine location within Syria to exact the recovery. The specifics regarding the operation's execution, such as the means of discovering Feldman's remains in Syria and the exact timing and location of the mission, are yet to be disclosed.
Feldman had initially been reported missing alongside two other soldiers during the Battle of Sultan Yacoub, an engagement that took place in the Bekaa Valley in eastern Lebanon, near the Syrian border. Tragically, the fate of the third missing soldier, Yehuda Katz, remains a mystery, as the search for his remains continues.
Six years ago, the remains of Zachariah Baumel, Feldman's comrade-in-arms, were also retrieved, subsequently buried. The recovery of Feldman's remains is a significant milestone for Israel, reaffirming its commitment to account for every serviceman lost during the First Lebanon War.
Prime Minister Netanyahu personally visited Feldman's family to convey the news, underscoring the gravity and emotional impact of this event. The Operation to recover Feldman's remains was a commendable testament to Israel's relentless pursuit of closure for families of missing soldiers.
- Lebanon
- Syria
- Israel
Insights:
- The operation that led to Feldman's recovery took place over a period of five months, with the initial discovery of Feldman's overalls confirming the location.
- The operation involved the Mossad, the IDF, and other Israeli security agencies, including the Shin Bet and the Coordinator for Hostages and Missing Persons, Gal Hirsch.
- The team involved in the operation posed as a non-Israeli team, creating a covert presence in Syria to locate Feldman's remains without arousing suspicion. They were forbidden from open digging, instead conducting their search in a meticulous, centimeter-by-centimeter manner.
- DNA testing confirmed the recovery of Feldman's remains after initial findings.
- Remains recovered from a secret location in Syria, where the operation to find Zvi Feldman had been conducted over a period of five months.
- The Israeli security agencies involved in Operation Feldman included the Mossad, IDF, Shin Bet, and the Coordinator for Hostages and Missing Persons, Gal Hirsch.
- To avoid raising suspicion, the team searching for Feldman's remains posed as a non-Israeli team and conducted their search meticulously, centimeter-by-centimeter.
- DNA testing was required to confirm the recovery of Zvi Feldman's remains after initial findings.
- While the specifics of the mission, such as the means of discovering Feldman's remains in Syria and the exact timing and location of the operation, are yet to be disclosed, the recovery is a significant achievement in Israel's ongoing efforts to account for every serviceman lost during the First Lebanon War.
