Israeli forces have recovered the remains of Staff Sgt. Oron Shaul, an Israeli soldier killed and captured by Hamas during the 2014 Gaza War, the IDF announced. The mission was conducted jointly by the IDF and the Shin Bet security agency, with participation from elite units, including the Navy’s Shayetet 13 commando unit and a top-tier force from the Military Intelligence Directorate. The exact timing and location of the operation remain undisclosed. After retrieval, Shaul’s body was returned to Israel and transferred to the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute, where it was positively identified. Military officials promptly informed Shaul’s family of the recovery. Shaul lost his life on July 20, 2014, in the Shejaiya neighborhood of Gaza City during an intense phase of the 2014 Gaza War. As members of the Golani Brigade’s 13th Battalion navigated the area in an M-113 armored personnel carrier, the vehicle became trapped in a narrow street. During efforts to free the APC, Hamas operatives launched an attack with anti-tank missiles, resulting in the deaths of seven soldiers, including Shaul. His body was subsequently taken by Hamas. Shaul’s remains remained in Gaza until now, and was often seen as a bargaining chip for Hamas attempts to have terrorists arrested by Israel freed. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)