Yehuda Katz: It Is Finished

Israel has brought back the remains of Staff Sergeant Yehuda Katz, an armored soldier missing since the Battle of Sultan Ya'akub 44 years ago. The operation, described as a historic breakthrough, involved extensive intelligence and operational efforts by the IDF and Mossad, while dealing with deceptions by hostile parties. The article notes that the recovery symbolizes the state's commitment to bringing back its soldiers.

Staff Sergeant Yehuda Katz, an armored soldier missing since the Battle of Sultan Ya'akub in the First Lebanon War 44 years ago, has been brought back for burial in Israel. The article describes the multi-year intelligence and operational effort that led to the recovery of his remains, while dealing with deliberate deceptions by Palestinian and Syrian parties, including Salah al-Ma'ani and Umm Jihad. A team in the Defense Ministry's department for missing soldiers determined that Katz did not survive the fire in the tank, and focused the search on the lost tank. The operation is seen as an expression of a change in the intelligence community's approach after the October 7 failure, and of fulfilling the unwritten contract between the state and its soldiers.