Body of Fallen Israeli Soldier Held Since 2014 Retrieved in Covert Gaza Mission
In a covert operation in the Gaza Strip, Israeli forces have recovered the body of Staff Sgt. Oron Shaul, who was killed and captured by Hamas during the 2014 Gaza War, the military announced on Sunday. The mission was a joint effort between the IDF and the Shin Bet security agency, involving elite units such as the Navy’s Shayetet 13 commando unit and a special team from the Military Intelligence Directorate.
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Details of the operation, including its timing and location within Gaza, remain classified. However, the IDF confirmed that Shaul’s body was returned to Israel and taken to the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute, where his identity was verified. His family was subsequently notified.
Shaul was killed on July 20, 2014, when his Golani Brigade unit entered Gaza City’s Shejaiya neighborhood as part of the 2014 Gaza War. The M-113 armored personnel carrier he was traveling in became immobilized in a narrow street and came under heavy attack from Hamas operatives using anti-tank missiles. Seven soldiers died in the attack, and Shaul’s body was dragged from the scene by Hamas.
