The body of missing IDF soldier Corporal Oleg Shaihat from Upper Nazareth was found on Monday buried in an olive grove near the Arab village Kafr Qana. Shaihat was found buried in his army uniform, his M-16 rifle was taken from him and his army cap was found nearby.
Police suspect he was murdered for nationalistic motives but are unsure whether by Israeli-Arabs or by Palestinians. Security forces were concerned about Palestinian extremists looking to capture Israeli civilians and soldiers in order to use them as bargaining chips in return for the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails.
The soldier was last seen when catching a ride in a private car just outside his army base in northern Israel last Monday. Police suspect Shaihat was killed the day he was abducted.
Some 5,000 police officers, soldiers and volunteers helped search for Shaihat in northern Israel over the last week. Head of police in the northern district thanked the volunteers and said they demonstrated “unusual voluntary help.”
Upon discovering the body, Israel’s National Religious Party demanded the cancellation of the decision to release Palestinian prisoners. Foreign Minister Sylvan Shalom said everything will be done to track down those responsible for this, as reported on the Israeli news website Ynet.