IDF finds remains of soldier who went missing during First Lebanon War
The IDF has recovered the remains of soldier Yehuda Katz, who went missing during the 1982 First Lebanon War, following a covert intelligence operation. The recovery concludes a decades-long search for Katz, whose fellow missing soldiers were also recently accounted for.
Why it matters
This provides closure to the families of long-missing soldiers and highlights the Israeli military's commitment to recovering fallen personnel regardless of the time elapsed.
After 44 years, Israel has located and returned the remains of fallen IDF soldier Yehuda Katz during a covert operation in Lebanon overnight, based on joint Mossad and IDF intelligence collected over several years, the military confirmed on Tuesday."In an operation led by the Military Intelligence and a joint community effort with the Mossad, the remains of Yehuda were located and brought to Israel," the IDF said. "After they were brought to Israel, an identification process was conducted at the Military Rabbinate's Center for the Identification of Fallen, in cooperation with the Medical Corps and the Israel Police."Katz was declared missing during the First Lebanon War, following the Battle of Sultan Yacoub on June 11, 1982. Two other soldiers, Zachary Baumel and Zvi Feldman, were declared missing alongside Katz.Baumel's remains were recovered in 2019 with Russia's help, and Feldman's remains were recovered in 2025 in a covert Mossad operation.
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