In a daring and covert intelligence operation, Mossad agents posing as a non-Israeli team and risking their lives deep inside Syria located and returned to Israel the remains of Staff Sgt. Tzvi Feldman, an IDF tank commander who fell in the 1982 Battle of Sultan Yacoub during the First Lebanon War.
The five-month operation, carried out dozens of kilometers from the Israeli border, was the result of meticulous cooperation between the Mossad and the IDF. The mission built on the 2019 success of recovering the remains of fellow fallen soldier Zachary Baumel. Since then, efforts shifted to locating Feldman and a third missing soldier from the same battle, Staff Sgt. Yehuda Katz, whose whereabouts remain unknown.
A Mossad team operated under heavy risk, carrying out sensitive maneuvers to obtain access to a cemetery under the watchful eyes of local guards. The team was initially hesitant to return for a second attempt, but ultimately agreed after a carefully planned deception secured their presence at the site.
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Tzvi Feldman, an IDF tank commander who fell in the 1982 Battle of Sultan Yacoub, fell during the First Lebanon War
For months, the agents worked slowly and covertly—centimeter by centimeter—while maintaining cordial relations with the cemetery staff and avoiding suspicion, as they were prohibited from digging openly. "They brought back initial findings, and after a DNA test we realized we were in the right place," said an official involved in the operation.
The emotional breakthrough came when the team found what appeared to be Feldman’s military uniform. “I saw his jumpsuit and knew, even before the DNA test, this was the place. A note was sent to the Mossad chief: ‘We’ve found the uniform.’ It was deeply moving,” the official added.
“This operation proves that even 43 years after a soldier falls, Israel does not abandon the mission,” said a senior official familiar with the operation. “It’s not just about Sultan Yacoub. We’re still working on other open cases like Eli Cohen, Ron Arad, Elizabeth Tsurkov in Iraq, and others. This gives the families perspective—we don’t forget anyone.”
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The official emphasized that the mission was a joint effort with the IDF at both the intelligence and operational levels, particularly in enabling safe border crossings. “Every move was done shoulder to shoulder with the IDF. Without their support, the Mossad could not have completed this mission.”
“This is a mission rooted in the core values of the Mossad,” he continued. “It also sends a message to the families of fallen soldiers and missing persons—especially those still held in Gaza—that Israel remains committed to bringing everyone home, whether living or dead, regardless of how much time has passed.”
The successful recovery of Feldman’s remains brings emotional closure to one of Israel’s most enduring MIA cases and serves as a testament to the persistence, ingenuity, and moral commitment of Israel’s security agencies.