Remains of Yehuda Katz, IDF soldier who went missing in 1982 battle, returned to Israel
Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondentThe remains of Israeli soldier Sgt. First Class Yehuda Katz, who went missing in the First Lebanon War’s battle of Sultan Yacoub in 1982, were returned to Israel on Tuesday, the military announced, with Israeli leaders hailing the country’s commitment to bring back every missing or fallen soldier.The battle, 44 years ago, was a skirmish between the Israel Defense Forces and the Syrian army in Lebanon’s Beqaa Valley. It claimed the lives of 21 Israeli servicemen and injured more than 30.Katz, a tank soldier, went missing during the battle, along with Sgt. First Class Zachary Baumel and Sgt. First Class Zvi Feldman.Baumel’s remains were recovered with Russian assistance and returned to Israel in 2019, and Feldman’s remains were recovered by Mossad agents in May 2025.In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces said that in a special operation led by the Military…
The remains of Sgt. First Class Yehuda Katz, an IDF soldier missing since the 1982 Battle of Sultan Yacoub during the First Lebanon War, were returned to Israel on Tuesday. Katz, a tank soldier, went missing along with Zachary Baumel and Zvi Feldman; Baumel's remains were recovered in 2019, and Feldman's in May 2025. The recovery of Katz's remains was the result of a special operation led by the Military Intelligence Directorate and Mossad, based on intelligence gathered over four decades. IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir stated, "The return of Yehuda Katz, the last fallen soldier from the Battle of Sultan Yacoub, is a significant moment for the IDF and for the State of Israel," adding, "We will leave none of our people behind."
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