Staff Sgt. Yehuda Yekutiel Katz, an Armored Corps soldier who vanished during the First Lebanon War, has finally been returned to Israel for burial after 44 years. According to confirmation from the Israel Defense Forces, his remains were located during a covert operation following joint intelligence efforts by the military and the Mossad.
Closing a Four-Decade Circle From the Battle of Sultan Yacoub
Katz was declared missing in action following the Battle of Sultan Yacoub on June 11, 1982. Fought during Operation Peace for Galilee, the engagement saw Israeli armored forces caught in a Syrian ambush near the village, resulting in 20 fatalities, dozens of injuries, and six soldiers initially listed as missing.
Over the decades, the fate of three of those missing men became clear: Zohar Lifshitz was confirmed dead and his body returned after the war, Eric Lieberman was released from Syrian captivity, and Hezi Shai returned home via a prisoner exchange. That left three soldiers—Katz, Zachary Baumel, and Zvi Feldman—as symbols of Israel’s missing personnel from the operation, according to Arutz Sheva.
The long search for the trio has seen breakthroughs in recent years. Baumel’s remains were recovered in 2019 with international assistance, followed by the recovery of Feldman’s remains in a 2025 covert Mossad operation, as reported by The Jerusalem Post. The return of Katz’s remains now concludes the mission to account for all missing soldiers from the Sultan Yacoub engagement.
Intelligence Breakthroughs and Identification Protocols
The operation to find Katz materialized only after fresh intelligence began flowing in during recent months. Operating under strict operational security, military intelligence and Mossad teams pieced together data gathered over more than four decades to pinpoint his location.
Once brought back across the border, the recovered remains underwent an identification process at the Military Rabbinate’s Casualty Identification Center. The process involved collaboration with the Israel Police and the Medical Corps to ensure verification before notifying the family, according to the IDF.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir emphasized the gravity of the moment. The return of Yehuda Katz, the last fallen soldier from the Battle of Sultan Yaakov, is a significant moment for the IDF and the State of Israel. Decades have passed, but our obligation to our fallen has not changed—we will leave none of our people behind,
Zamir stated, as cited by Arutz Sheva.
A Bitter-Sweet Resolution for a Grieving Family
While the operation brings formal closure to a decades-long national ordeal, it comes too late for Katz’s parents. His mother and father, Sarah and Yosef Katz, passed away after years of tireless advocacy without ever learning the ultimate fate of their son.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the nation following the announcement, reflecting on the enduring pain of the family. Today, all of us, the entire people of Israel, embrace the Katz family,
Netanyahu said, according to The Jerusalem Post. His dear parents, Sarah and Yosef, of blessed memory, never stopped working to locate him and bring him home… To you, his siblings Avi and Perachia, we return your beloved Yehuda—to you and to the soil of the Land of Israel that he loved so much.
Despite the official identification and return, surviving family members have expressed a desire for thorough independent verification. Speaking to media outlets, Katz’s nephew Yochai Heiman noted that the family prefers to examine the specifics carefully before making final arrangements. As the nation absorbs the conclusion of this chapter, the return of Staff Sgt. Katz marks the end of a 44-year wait for a family and an army committed to bringing their own home.
