Agence France-PresseThe Israeli military said special forces recovered the body of a soldier killed in the 2014 Gaza war, who had been held hostage by Hamas ever since.
A statement said that the remains of Sergeant Oron Shaul were found during a “special secret operation” carried out by the Israeli army and the Shin Bet security service in Gaza.
She added that his family was informed after an identification procedure conducted by the National Institute of Forensic Medicine and the Military Rabbinate.
Hamas was expected to hand over Shaul's remains as part of a new Gaza ceasefire and hostage release agreement, which was supposed to be implemented Sunday morning but was postponed.
IDF spokesman Admiral Daniel Hagari said that Shaul “fell in battle” in the Shujaiya area east of Gaza City on July 20, 2014 and was “kidnapped by the Hamas terrorist organization.”
He added in a press briefing, “This was an important intelligence and operational mission that has continued over the past decade since his fall and kidnapping, especially during the war and over the past few days.”
He said that the process of returning Shaul's body to the house for burial was carried out by special units from the Military Intelligence Directorate of the Israeli army, the Shayet 13 naval commando unit, and Shin Bet activists.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the participating special forces for their “resourcefulness and courage.”
He said photos of Shaul and Goldin “have been in front of me in my office for many years as a daily testament to my commitment to bringing them home.”
He added: “We have completed the mission to bring back Oron, and we will not rest until we have also completed the mission to bring back Hadar Goldin.”
“We will continue to work to return all our hostages, living and dead.”
Office of the Israeli Prime MinisterNetanyahu issued the statement shortly after he said it The start of the Gaza ceasefire will be delayed until Hamas confirms the names of the first hostages it plans to release In exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
Hamas blamed technical problems for the failure to deliver the list and said it remained committed to the agreement.
Israel launched a campaign to destroy Hamas in response to the October 7, 2023 attack, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.
Nearly 46,900 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry in the Strip. Most of the population of 2.3 million has been displaced, there is widespread destruction, and there are severe shortages of food, fuel, medicine and shelter due to the struggle to get aid to those in need.
Israel says 94 hostages are still being held by Hamas, and 34 of them are presumed dead.
The first six-week phase of the ceasefire agreement is scheduled to see the exchange of 33 hostages – including women, children and the elderly – with Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
Israeli forces will also withdraw to the east, away from densely populated areas of Gaza, while displaced Palestinians will be allowed to begin returning to their homes and hundreds of aid trucks will be allowed into the area every day.
Negotiations on the second phase – which is supposed to see the release of the remaining hostages, the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces and a return to “sustainable calm” – are scheduled to begin on the 16th day of the ceasefire.
The third and final phase will include the reconstruction of Gaza – which could take years – and the return of the bodies of any remaining hostages.
