Israeli security forces have retrieved the body of soldier Oron Shaul, who was killed in 2014’s “Operation Protective Edge” and whose remains were held by Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip for more than 10 years, the IDF announced on Sunday morning.

Shaul’s remains were rescued “In a special covert operation of the IDF and Shin Bet [Israel Security Agency],” according to a statement.

The operation was the result of a decade of work by the Missing Persons Unit and the Special Operations Division of the IDF’s Military Intelligence Directorate, the statement continued.

Shaul’s family was informed of the operation’s success on Sunday morning following an identification process carried out by the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Tel Aviv and the Military Rabbinate, according to the IDF

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: “Overnight, in a special operation by the Shin Bet and the IDF, before the ceasefire came into effect, we returned the body of the late Golani fighter Oron Shaul to Israel.”

“A picture of Oron Shaul and Hadar Goldin, of blessed memory, who fell in ‘Operation Protective Edge’ in 2014, has been displayed in my office for many years as daily testimony to my commitment to bringing them home,” he added.

“Tonight, we completed the mission to return Oron, and we will not be silent or rest until we also complete the mission to return Hadar Goldin.
We will continue to work to return all of our hostages – both the living and the dead,” the statement concluded.

According to Israeli estimates, there are 97 hostages still in Hamas captivity in Gaza, including 94 abducted during the October 7 attacks.

Of the 251 hostages taken on October 7, 157 have been returned or rescued, and Hamas is believed to be holding 35 bodies, 34 of them taken on October 7 and Hadar Goldin, who was kidnapped by the terror group in 2014.