
Document Written by Arafat Helped Israel Recover Body of Israeli Soldier Missing for 43 Years
The body of Israeli soldier Tzvi Feldman, who went missing since the Battle of Sultan Yacoub between Israel and Syria in June 1982, have been returned to Israel in a special operation carried out by commando forces after the collapse of Bashar al-Assad's regime, Israeli reports said on Sunday.
During the operation, Israeli warplanes carried out intensive raids on several locations around the place to protect the forces and hide their traces.
Military sources in Tel Aviv said that the mission was conducted months ago, enabled by old intelligence and advanced operational capabilities.
However, the sources added, non-Israeli agents, operating on behalf of the Mossad, had a cover story and had been inside Syria for several years to collect information on the location of Feldman's body.
In the past five months, following the fall of Assad regime, the agents operated 'under fire' and visited a graveyard several times, obtaining various findings that were sent to Israel for identification.
When findings matched Feldman's DNA, the Israeli team recovered the full body and brought it home.
According to Army Radio, the operation lasted for months, with the final identification of the body coming over the past weekend.
Al-Sharaa Government Not Involved in Operation
Sources said that following the fall of Assad regime, there were breakthroughs in Feldman's case and an opportunity to recover his remains.
Although the Israeli operation was conducted under the new Syrian government led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, the latter was not involved in the operation, they said.
Security officials emphasized that the operation didn't involve any cooperation by the new Syrian government, denying recent reports of indirect talks between Israel and al-Sharaa in this regard.
The sources said that intelligence that helped carry out the operation were completely separate from efforts related to Hamas' abduction of Israeli prisoners in the Gaza Strip.
They said the massive efforts to find the hundreds of Israelis who were abducted by Hamas on Oct. 7 were concentrated in a newly established Abductees Command under retired Maj.-Gen. Nitzan Alon, allowing the Repatriation Department to continue its work behind the scenes, even during the war.
Other sources in Tel Aviv said information about the fate of Israeli soldiers who were missing in the Battle of Sultan Yacoub during the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon, were uncovered in July 2021. At the time, the Israeli intelligence discovered a secret document written by late Palestinian president, Yasser Arafat, who referred to the presence of three graves located in the cemetery of the Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp on the outskirts of the Syrian capital Damascus.
The Walla website showed a copy of the document that it said was provided by a 'non-Israeli' source, and written more than 20 years ago.
The document is a handwritten note on an official paper from the Palestinian Authority presidential office. The source claimed the document was written by Yasser Arafat.
The letter did not specify whether the graves belonged to the Israeli soldiers killed in the Battle of Sultan Yacoub, however, it included a detailed map of three graves in the Yarmouk camp, where members of the PLO factions were buried after 1980.
When the document was uncovered in 2021, Israel asked for Russia's assistance to identify whether the location included the bodies of its missing soldiers, particularly that in 2019, Moscow had helped Netanyahu recover the body of Zachary Baumel from the Yarmouk refugee camp.
On Sunday, Netanyahu tried to benefit from the recovery of Feldman's body. He personally visited his family in Tel Aviv, accompanied by his military secretary and the coordinator for hostages and missing persons, to deliver the news.
'For decades, Tzvi was listed as missing, and the efforts to locate him—alongside the other soldiers missing from that battle—never ceased. Six years ago, we brought back Staff Sergent Zachary Baumel for burial in Israel. Today, we bring back Tzvi. We will not stop until we bring home Staff Sgt. Yehuda Katz, who is still missing from that same battle.'
The prime minister then extended his gratitude to 'the Mossad, the Israeli Army, the Shin Bet, and Hostage and Missing Persons Coordinator Gal Hirsch for their decades of dedicated, determined and courageous efforts to bring Tzvi home—and to return all of our missing and captive, living and fallen alike.'
He said, 'Israel and my government are fully committed to this mission.'
Israeli Paratroopers
Meanwhile, the Israeli Army announced on Sunday that after five months of operational activity in the Golan Heights and Syria, soldiers of the Paratroopers Brigade have completed their mission on the northern border.
It said the troops are now preparing, as part of the 98th Division, for additional missions in the Gaza Strip ahead of the effort to expand the operations in the area.
'In the coming days, the Paratroopers Brigade will be replaced by reserve troops, who will continue their activity in Syria,' the statement said, adding that the Army will continue to operate across all arenas in order to protect the citizens of Israel.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Arab News
42 minutes ago
- Arab News
Building a just and inclusive Syria from within
The recent withdrawal of hundreds of American troops from Syria — estimated at 500 personnel and accompanied by the closure or handover of multiple bases to the Syrian Democratic Forces — marks more than just a tactical shift in US foreign policy. It may, if seized wisely, signal the dawn of a new opportunity for Syrians to redefine their nation's future through unity, reconciliation and inclusivity. This move, characterized by US officials as 'safe, deliberate and conditions-based,' reflects a major recalibration following the fall of the Assad regime. For years, Syria has been trapped in a brutal vortex of conflict, foreign intervention and sectarian fragmentation. Now, as international military footprints shrink, the onus is increasingly on Syrians themselves to shape the road ahead. The handover of military sites — such as Mission Support Site Euphrates — to the SDF is emblematic of a transition from foreign-led stabilization to local governance. While this raises valid concerns about the future balance of power among Kurdish, Arab and other ethnic groups in northeastern Syria, it also presents a rare chance to lay the groundwork for a decentralized, inclusive system that respects Syria's diversity. Yet the departure of US forces should not be mistaken for an end to instability. Instead, it is a fork in the road. Syrians — regardless of ethnicity, faith or political affiliation — must now decide: Will they allow the vacuum to be filled by renewed factionalism or will they use this space to chart a united course toward nation-building? As international military footprints shrink, the onus is increasingly on Syrians themselves to shape the road ahead Hani Hazaimeh The SDF, a Kurdish-led coalition with substantial Arab participation, has been praised for maintaining a degree of stability in northeastern Syria. However, its dominance has also fueled tensions with Arab tribes and raised concerns about representation. True inclusivity means more than shifting military control — it demands a political solution that empowers all Syrians, from Qamishli to Deraa. A meaningful path forward could include the development of a new federal model for Syria — one that devolves authority to regional entities while safeguarding national unity. Such an arrangement would not only address long-standing grievances but also prevent the return of autocracy under new guises. As Syria emerges from dictatorship and war, there must be a concerted effort to pursue transitional justice rather than retribution. Mechanisms should be put in place to acknowledge the atrocities of the past, support victims and hold perpetrators accountable through fair legal processes. Only through truth and justice can real reconciliation take root. The chance to build a new Syria — one that is inclusive, accountable and representative — is within reach Hani Hazaimeh The country's young generation — many of whom have only known war — must be given a leading role in rebuilding Syria. Education, entrepreneurship and civic participation should be national priorities. Civil society organizations, long stifled or co-opted, need space to grow independently and help rebuild trust between citizens and their institutions. International actors can and should play a supportive role, not as overseers but as partners in reconstruction and capacity-building. Any engagement must be conditional on the inclusion of marginalized voices and the advancement of human rights. The withdrawal of US forces should not be seen as abandonment, but as an inflection point. The real question is not what foreign powers will do next, but what Syrians will do now. The chance to build a new Syria — one that is inclusive, accountable and representative — is within reach. It will not be easy. But with courage, dialogue and vision, the Syrian people can reclaim their future — not through force, but through unity. History has shown that peace imposed from the outside rarely endures. But peace built from within can transform nations. Now is the time for Syrians to choose the path of transformation.

Al Arabiya
43 minutes ago
- Al Arabiya
UK foreign ministry staff warn of complicity in Israel's Gaza war
More than 300 civil servants at Britain's foreign ministry have written to Foreign Secretary David Lammy expressing concerns about Israel's conduct of the war in Gaza, the BBC reported Tuesday. The officials warned of potential UK 'complicity' in what they called 'Israel's violations of international humanitarian law' during the conflict in the Palestinian territory. The letter dated May 16 questioned the continuation of some UK arms sales to the country, according to the broadcaster. 'In July 2024, staff expressed concern about Israel's violations of international humanitarian law and potential UK government complicity,' the staff wrote, according to excerpts cited by the BBC. 'In the intervening period, the reality of Israel's disregard for international law has become more stark,' they added, citing the killing of humanitarian workers, restrictions on international aid and violence by Israeli settlers in the West Bank. The letter added the UK government had contributed to 'the erosion of global norms,' including through weapons exports, the broadcaster reported. Prime Minister Keir Starmer's Labour government suspended some 30 of 350 arms export licenses to Israel in September 2024, citing a 'risk' they could be used in violations of international law. London has also sanctioned settlers in the West Bank and suspended negotiations on a free trade agreement with Israel. But it continues to supply components for F-35 fighter jets to a global pool that Israel is able to access. 'Since day one, this government has rigorously applied international law in relation to the war in Gaza,' a Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) spokesperson said in a statement sent to AFP. The BBC reported that the two most senior officials in the FCDO replied to the letter by saying the signatories could 'resign' if they disagreed with government policy. 'This is an honorable course,' they told staff, the BBC reported, adding that the response shocked the civil servants. The FCDO spokesperson said 'it is the job of civil servants to deliver on the policies of the government of the day.' 'There are systems in place which allow them to raise concerns if they have them,' they added. The row comes as Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces growing international criticism over the war, including claims of genocide, which Israel strenuously denies. The war started after a Hamas attack on October 7, 2023 resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official figures. The Gaza health ministry says at least 54,927 people, the majority civilians, have been killed in Israel's retaliation. The UN considers these figures reliable.


Arab News
43 minutes ago
- Arab News
UK will sanction Israel ministers Ben-Gvir and Smotrich, Times reports
LONDON: Britain and other international allies will formally sanction two far-right Israeli ministers, Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, following their conduct over the war in Gaza, the Times reported on will join Canada, Australia, New Zealand and other nations in freezing the assets and imposing travel bans on Israel's national security minister Ben-Gvir — a West Bank settler — and finance minister foreign office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the like other European countries, has been ramping up the pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government to end the blockade on aid into Gaza, where international experts have warned that famine is last month suspended free trade talks with Israel for pursuing 'egregious policies' in the occupied West Bank and Gaza, summoned its ambassador, and announced further sanctions against West Bank minister David Lammy, who called Israel's recent offensive 'a dark new phase in this conflict,' has previously condemned comments by Smotrich on the possible cleansing and destruction of Gaza and relocation of its residents to third countries.