Israel recovers remains of last soldier missing from 1982 Lebanon War

The remains of Yehuda Katz, the last Israeli soldier missing from the 1982 Battle of Sultan Yacoub during the First Lebanon War, have been recovered after 44 years. Katz, a 22-year-old tank gunner, disappeared on June 11, 1982, when Israeli forces were engaged by Syrian troops in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley.

The recovery was the result of a special overnight operation conducted by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in cooperation with Mossad, utilizing intelligence gathered in recent months. Katz was one of three soldiers whose fates remained unknown following the battle; the remains of the other two, Zachary Baumel and Zvi Feldman, were recovered in 2019 and 2025, respectively.

Katz was a yeshiva student in the Hesder program who was just ten days away from completing his military service at the time of his disappearance. His tank was hit and caught fire during the engagement, leaving his fate uncertain for over four decades. His remains have been returned to Israel for burial.