Israel Defense Forces Staff Sgt. Oron Shaul, whose body was recovered from the Gaza Strip by security forces on Sunday, was set to be laid to rest in Poria Illit, west of the Sea of Galilee, at 2 p.m. on Monday.
Shaul was killed in action in Gaza City’s Shejaiya neighborhood on July 20, 2014, during the IDF’s “Operation Protective Edge.” His remains were held by Hamas for more than 10 years.
“I didn’t believe I’d reach this moment. I have chills all over,” his mother, Zehava, told Ynet. “I want to thank all those who made the supreme effort to return Oron to me, which I thought would not happen. Here, it happened. I am very excited. It’s hard for me to even speak. I am very grateful to the prime minister and the defense establishment. I thank all the soldiers. … I hope all the abductees who are still in Gaza will return,” she said.
Oron’s brother, Aviram, said it was a difficult, bittersweet moment.
“This is closure for the family, who received relief, comfort and peace. We are still not processing [the recovery of his body], it’s hard to express in words what I’m feeling,” he said.
The Prime Minister’s Office issued a statement saying that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with Zehava Shaul on Monday, stressing that the mission had been a priority for him since the day Shaul fell in battle.
Shaul’s mother thanked the premier, saying, “You promised to bring him back—and you kept your word.”
The two recited together the Bible verse, “There is hope for your future, declares the Lord, and your children shall return to their own territory,” followed by the premier’s expressed commitment to bring back all remaining abductees from Hamas captivity.
“We will not rest nor remain silent until we also bring back Hadar Goldin, of blessed memory, and all our captives—both the living and the fallen—and achieve all the objectives of the war in Gaza,” Netanyahu was quoted as saying.
Security forces retrieved the body in a covert operation in the Gaza Strip that involved special units of the Israel Defense Forces and the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet).
Following the operation, the coordinator of government activities in the territories (COGAT), Maj. Gen. Rassan Alian, and the commander of the Golani Brigade, Col. Adi Ganon, visited Shaul’s family.
Alian, who commanded the Golani Brigade in which Shaul served during “Protective Edge,” expressed his condolences to the family and emphasized the IDF’s commitment to working toward the return of all abductees held captive in the Gaza Strip.
Ganon said, “The Golani Brigade will continue to embrace and support the family. In an emotional closure, forces from Battalion 51 took part in the emotional rescue operation alongside other special forces. The Shaul family, your Oron, our Oron, has returned home.”
According to Israeli estimates, there are 97 hostages still in Hamas captivity in Gaza, including 94 abducted during the Oct. 7 attacks.
Of the 251 hostages taken on Oct. 7, 157 have been returned or rescued, and Hamas is believed to be holding 35 corpses, including 34 of people taken on Oct. 7, 2023. Lt. Hadar Goldin’s remains were taken by the terror group in 2014.