A years-long intelligence effort led by the IDF Intelligence Directorate, in cooperation with the Mossad and Unit 504, has culminated in a daring operation to recover the remains of a soldier missing since the 1982 Battle of Sultan Yaakov. The breakthrough came when a reservist armor officer identified the soldier’s overalls during reserve duty.
In parallel to the ongoing efforts to secure the release of the 59 hostages abducted on October 7, the security establishment had previously decided at the highest levels to dedicate a separate intelligence and operational track to locating missing persons from areas outside the Gaza Strip.
The complex and painstaking intelligence operation involved meticulous information gathering over an extended period, with constant reevaluation of every lead. In the past year, various pieces of intelligence began to align, forming a clearer picture that ultimately enabled the launch of the recovery mission.
The Intelligence Directorate spearheaded the effort to pinpoint the area where the remains were suspected to be located. It then provided an intelligence envelope for the operational activity conducted by the Mossad, with the close cooperation of Unit 504. The mission’s objective was to bring the remains of soldier Tzvi Feldman, known to be missing since Sultan Yaakov, back to Israel for identification.
A poignant detail emerged during the operation when Lt. Col. Y., head of the Military Intelligence Department and a reservist armor officer, identified Feldman’s overalls. Lt. Col. Y. returned to reserve duty in Military Intelligence 13 years ago.
Following the recovery, Israeli forces held a memorial service and salute in honor of Feldman upon the arrival of his remains in Israeli territory.
The IDF Military Rabbinate took custody of the remains and transferred them to the Military Rabbinate Genomic Center for a detailed identification process. Due to the advanced state of decomposition after decades of burial, the Genomic Center employed advanced forensic technologies to ensure accurate identification. Once confirmed, the findings were conveyed to Feldman’s family in a respectful and orderly manner.
