Israeli forces recover body of soldier held in Gaza since 2014

The Israeli military announced that special forces had recovered the remains of Oren Shaul, a soldier killed in the 2014 Gaza war, in a covert operation in the Gaza Strip. His remains had been held by Hamas since then. According to the statement, Sergeant Shaul's remains were discovered during a "secret special operation" jointly conducted by the Israeli military and the Shin Bet security service.

After identification procedures were completed at the National Forensic Institute and the military rabbinate, Shaul's family was informed of the news. This came after Hamas had been expected to return Shaul's remains as part of a new Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal, which was scheduled to be implemented on Sunday morning but has been delayed. The Palestinian armed group also holds three other Israelis, who were captured before the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel that triggered the current Gaza war.

One of the three hostages is Lieutenant Hadar Goldin, a soldier killed in the 2014 fighting. The other two are civilians, believed to still be alive. Avraham Mengistu, an Ethiopian-Israeli, and Hisham al-Sayed, a Bedouin Arab-Israeli, were captured after independently crossing into Gaza in 2014 and 2015, respectively. The Israeli government has stated that both men were suffering from mental health issues at the time.

Major General Daniel Hagari, a spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), stated that Shaul was "killed" in the Shejaiya area, east of Gaza City, on July 20, 2014, and "kidnapped by the Hamas terrorist organization." He said, "This was a major intelligence and operational mission that has been ongoing for ten years since his death and kidnapping, especially during the war and in recent days."

Major General Hagari also stated that the operation to bring Shaul's remains home for burial was carried out by special forces from the Israeli Defense Forces Intelligence Directorate, the 13th Naval Commando, and Shin Bet agents. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the special forces involved in the operation for "their resourcefulness and bravery."

Netanyahu said that photos of Shaul and Goldin "have been in my office for years as a daily testament to my commitment to bring them home." He added, "We have completed the mission of bringing Oren home, and we will not rest until we complete the mission of bringing Hadar Goldin home." "We will continue to act to return all of our hostages, both the living and the dead."

Shortly before making the statement, Netanyahu said the start of the Gaza ceasefire would be delayed until Hamas confirms the list of the first group of hostages they plan to release in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. Hamas blamed technical issues for the failure to hand over the list and said it remained committed to the deal. Israel launched its operation to destroy Hamas in response to the October 7, 2023, attack, which resulted in the deaths of about 1,200 people and the kidnapping of another 251 as hostages.

According to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza, nearly 46,900 people have been killed in Gaza since then. The majority of the 2.3 million population has been displaced, with widespread destruction and severe shortages of food, fuel, medicine, and shelter due to difficulties in delivering aid to those in need. Israel says Hamas is still holding 94 hostages, 34 of whom are presumed dead.

The first phase of the ceasefire agreement, lasting six weeks, should see 33 hostages – including women, children, and the elderly – exchanged for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. Israeli forces would also retreat to the east, away from populated areas in Gaza, while displaced Palestinians would be allowed to begin returning to their homes, and hundreds of aid trucks per day would be allowed into the territory. Negotiations for the second phase – which should see the remaining hostages released, a full Israeli military withdrawal, and the restoration of a “sustainable calm” – would begin on the 16th day of the ceasefire. The third and final phase would involve the reconstruction of Gaza – which could take years – and the repatriation of any remaining hostage remains.