Israel recovers remains of soldier missing since 1982 Lebanon War

Yehuda Katz Battle of Sultan Yacoub Lebanon War 1982 IDF missing soldiers

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have recovered the remains of Yehuda Katz, a soldier who went missing during the Battle of Sultan Yacoub in Lebanon in June 1982. The recovery follows a covert overnight operation in Lebanon, facilitated by intelligence gathered by the Mossad and the IDF over several years.

Katz was the final soldier from the three missing during that specific engagement in the Bekaa Valley. The other two soldiers, Zachary Baumel and Zvi Feldman, had their remains recovered in 2019 and 2025, respectively, through operations involving intelligence and, in one instance, assistance from Russia.

The recovered remains are being examined for identification. While the material does not constitute a complete body, authorities stated it is sufficient to proceed with the identification process. Katz’s family has been notified of the discovery.

Entities

Israel Defense Forces · Lebanon · Mossad · Sultan Yacoub · Yehuda Katz

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 2 SOURCES] The recovery was conducted via an overnight covert operation in Lebanon. www.shalom.it · worldisraelnews.com
[● 2 SOURCES] The operation was based on intelligence gathered by the Mossad and IDF over several years. www.shalom.it · worldisraelnews.com
[● 2 SOURCES] The remains of Zachary Baumel were recovered in 2019. worldisraelnews.com · www.jns.org
[● 3 SOURCES] The remains of Zvi Feldman were recovered in May 2025. french.almanar.com.lb · worldisraelnews.com · www.jns.org
[● 3 SOURCES] Yehuda Katz was one of six soldiers who went missing during the Battle of Sultan Yacoub in June 1982. french.almanar.com.lb · www.shalom.it · www.jns.org
[● 2 SOURCES] The recovered material includes sufficient remains to proceed with identification. www.shalom.it · worldisraelnews.com
[● 4 SOURCES] The Israel Defense Forces recovered the remains of Yehuda Katz, who went missing during the 1982 Battle of Sultan Yacoub. french.almanar.com.lb · www.shalom.it · worldisraelnews.com · www.jns.org
[○ 1 SOURCE] The recovery of Katz's remains concludes the search for the three soldiers missing from the Sultan Yacoub battle. worldisraelnews.com