Official announcements from the Israeli government or Hamas, verified by major news outlets such as Reuters or BBC

Israeli Special Forces Recover Body of Soldier Oron Shaul Held by Hamas Since 2014

Jan 19, 2025, 06:01 AM

In a clandestine operation in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli military, in collaboration with the Shin Bet, successfully recovered the body of Staff Sgt. Oron Shaul, a Golani soldier who was just 20 years old when he was killed and captured by Hamas during a battle in the Shejaiya neighborhood of Gaza on July 20, 2014, during Operation Protective Edge. His body had been held by Hamas for nearly a decade. The Special Forces Operation was conducted before a ceasefire came into effect, as announced by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who expressed his condolences to Shaul's family and congratulated the Shin Bet and IDF for their efforts.