The remains of IDF tank commander Sgt. First Class Zvi Feldman, who was killed in the 1982 Battle of Sultan Yacoub during the First Lebanon War, have been returned to Israel in a special operation conducted by the Mossad and the IDF.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who announced the recovery, said: “For decades, Zvika was listed as missing, and the efforts to locate him—alongside the other soldiers missing from that battle—never ceased. Six years ago, we brought back Staff Sgt. Zachary Baumel for burial in Israel. Today, we bring back Tzvika. We will not stop until we bring home Staff Sgt. Yehuda Katz, who is still missing from that same battle.”
Netanyahu added, “Over the years, I approved numerous covert operations aimed at locating the Sultan Yacoub MIAs. I promised the Feldman family I would never stop working to bring Zvika home. His beloved parents, Pnina and Avraham, sadly died before this day came. Today, we return Zvika to you—Itzik, Shlomo, and Anat—to his family and to the land of Israel that he loved so dearly.”
The prime minister extended his gratitude to “the Mossad, the IDF, the Shin Bet, and Hostage and Missing Persons Coordinator Gal Hirsch for their decades of dedicated, determined and courageous efforts to bring Zvika home—and to return all of our missing and captive, living and fallen alike. The State of Israel and my government are fully committed to this mission. As the prophet Jeremiah said: ‘There is hope for your future, declares the Lord, and your children shall return to their own land.’”
Netanyahu personally visited the Feldman family in Tel Aviv on Sunday evening, accompanied by his military secretary and the coordinator for hostages and missing persons, to deliver the news.
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Defense Minister Israel Katz also issued a statement: “After 43 years of waiting, hope, and unrelenting efforts, the body of Staff Sgt. Zvi Feldman, an IDF soldier missing since the Battle of Sultan Yacoub, has returned home through a complex operation carried out by the Mossad and the IDF. In this painful moment, my heart is with the Feldman family, who have endured decades of sorrow, uncertainty, and longing. Today, we all bow our heads with them.”
“As we brought back Zachary Baumel, and now Zvi Feldman, we continue our efforts to return Staff Sgt. Yehuda Katz and fulfill our duty to him and his family,” Katz added. “The State of Israel will not rest until all its sons and daughters return home. Bringing back the missing and the captives—both living and dead—is not only a deep commitment but also our moral and national obligation. May his memory be a blessing.”
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu personally informs the siblings of Zvi Feldman that his remains have been returned to Israel
(Photo: Kobi)
In a joint statement, the Israel Defense Forces and Mossad announced the return of Feldman's body to Israel following a special operation deep inside Syria.
“Led by the IDF and Mossad, a special operation located the remains of Staff Sgt. Zvika Feldman in the heart of Syria and returned him to Israel,” the statement read. “Following the return, his identity was confirmed at the Military Rabbinate’s DNA identification center, and the family was notified by the IDF in the presence of the Prime Minister.”
According to the statement, the complex and covert mission was enabled by precise intelligence and advanced operational capabilities that “reflected Israel’s ingenuity and resolve.” The recovery marks the culmination of over four decades of continuous intelligence and operational efforts.
Feldman’s return follows the 2019 recovery of Staff Sgt. Zachary Baumel’s remains, also lost in the same battle. “That mission, too, was made possible thanks to years of intelligence gathering, field operations in enemy territory, and international cooperation,” the statement noted.
The family of missing soldier Staff Sgt. Yehuda Katz—still unaccounted for from the same battle—has been updated about Feldman’s return and the ongoing efforts to locate their loved one. “The Israeli security establishment will continue working tirelessly, day and night, to bring home all of our missing, fallen, and captive—both living and deceased,” the statement concluded.
'Not a private matter, but a national duty'
In December, Feldman’s sister Anat spoke to Ynet following the collapse of the Assad regime’s control over parts of Syria. “What’s happening now in Syria presents a rare window of opportunity, and we truly hope it will bring Zvika home,” she said. “We have no idea what became of him, but Assad’s regime—and his father’s before him—was brutally cruel. It’s possible he was held in a dark underground prison.”
“When we heard about prisoners being released after 50 years, it stirred something in us,” she continued. “We always said maybe Zvika is being held somewhere. The state must bring him back. This is not just a private matter—it’s a national responsibility. Since October 7, we’ve taken a step back due to the situation in Gaza and the hostages, but now is the time to act. This isn’t just the Feldman family’s story—it’s the story of a devastating battle and a grave IDF mistake.”
A tragic and controversial battle
The Battle of Sultan Yacoub took place between June 10–11, 1982, during the sixth day of Operation Peace for Galilee. Israeli forces were ordered to seize a strategic junction near the village of Sultan Yacoub in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley, just before a cease-fire with Syrian forces.
The battle resulted in 20 Israeli fatalities, dozens wounded, and six soldiers missing. Over time, the fates of three were clarified: Zohar Lifshitz was killed in action and returned for burial after the war; Arik Lieberman was captured and released two years later; and Hezi Shai was held by Ahmed Jibril’s terrorist group and released after three years in the infamous Jibril prisoner swap.
The chaotic nature of the battle sparked years of military and public debate, with accounts pointing to operational confusion and a lack of coordination. In some instances, Israeli forces accidentally fired on their own troops. The eight-hour battle concluded with a retreat under heavy Israeli artillery cover, leaving eight Israeli tanks in Syrian hands.
Years later, in April 2019, the remains of Staff Sgt. Zachary Baumel were returned in a separate covert operation. That mission had been supported by intelligence breakthroughs, including the 2016 recovery of his tank via Russia. Senior IDF and intelligence officials credited years of persistence and cross-agency coordination.
Following the Oslo Accords, Yasser Arafat handed over half of Baumel’s ID tag to Israel. Subsequent research revealed that the IDF had aerial photos showing Syrian troop positions prior to the battle—but this intelligence never reached the units on the ground.
Now, with Feldman’s return, another chapter in the long, painful saga of the Sultan Yacoub missing soldiers comes to a close. The mission renews Israel’s vow to leave no soldier behind.