IDF Retrieves Body of Oron Shaul, Held in Gaza since 2014

Monday, 20 January 2025 | Israeli security forces have retrieved the body of Israel Defense Forces Staff Sgt. Oron Shaul, who was killed in 2014’s “Operation Protective Edge” and whose remains were held by Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip for more than 10 years, the military announced on Sunday morning.

Shaul’s remains were rescued “In a special covert operation of the IDF and Shin Bet [Israel Security Agency],” the military said in a Hebrew statement.

The operation was the result of a decade of work by the Missing Persons Unit and the Special Operations Division of the IDF’s Military Intelligence Directorate, the statement continued.

Shaul’s family was informed of the operation’s success on Sunday morning following an identification process carried out by the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Tel Aviv and the Military Rabbinate, according to the IDF. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a Hebrew statement shared by his office, “Overnight, in a special operation by the Shin Bet and the IDF, before the ceasefire came into effect, we returned the body of the late Golani fighter Oron Shaul to Israel.”

“A picture of Oron Shaul and Hadar Goldin, of blessed memory, who fell in ‘Operation Protective Edge’ in 2014, has been displayed in my office for many years as daily testimony to my commitment to bringing them home,” he added.

“Tonight, we completed the mission to return Oron, and we will not be silent or rest until we also complete the mission to return Hadar Goldin. We will continue to work to return all of our hostages—both the living and the dead,” the statement concluded.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog spoke with Shaul’s mother, Zehava, after she was informed that the IDF retrieved his body from Gaza.

“I send strength to her and her family, on behalf of the entire nation, upon hearing the news of the return of his body after more than a decade. I told her that an entire nation held its breath this morning,” said Herzog. 

“This is a moment of solace, of resolving uncertainty and agonizing sorrow,” the head of state continued. “I grieve that Herzl—Oron’s late father—is not with us at this moment. With the images of Oron Shaul, and Hadar Goldin, before my eyes, I also spoke with Simcha, Hadar’s father, and committed to him that we will do everything in our power to bring him home as soon as possible.”

Herzog extended his gratitude to the IDF and the Shin Bet for their “courage, determination, and sense of mission.”

“We will continue to act and do everything necessary to bring back all our hostages and hostages from the clutches of Hamas murderers,” he said.

Shaul’s funeral will be held in Poria Illit, near the Sea of Galilee, on Monday. 

According to Israeli estimates, there are 97 hostages still in Hamas captivity in Gaza, including 94 abducted during the October 7 attacks. 

Of the 251 hostages taken on October 7, 157 have been returned or rescued, and Hamas is believed to be holding 35 bodies, 34 of them taken on October 7 and Lt. Hadar Goldin, who was kidnapped by the terror group in 2014.