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Nine years later, Israel fulfilled its promise and brought Oron Shaul back home.
By JPOST EDITORIAL JANUARY 20, 2025 05:56
A hostage poster of Oron Shaul is seen as people gather in solidarity with hostage families at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, January 18, 2025.
(photo credit: Raquel G. Frohlich)
As Israelis woke up on Sunday to the unsurprising news that Hamas had failed to comply with the directives of the ceasefire agreement and provide the names of the three hostages who were slated to be released later in the day, there was also another – totally surprising – announcement.
More than a decade after he was killed during Operation Protective Edge in 2014, the body of St.-Sgt. Oron Shaul was retrieved and returned to Israel in a long, complex multi-year operation conducted by IDF special forces and the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency).
Shaul’s family and the family of Lt. Hadar Goldin, who was also killed in Gaza in 2014 and whose body is still being held by Hamas, have conducted a high-profile campaign to retrieve their sons’ bodies and include their return as part of any negotiations that have been conducted with Hamas over the years since their abduction.
The return of Shaul’s body was not directly connected with the ceasefire agreement, but the underlying ethos of sparing no effort to retrieve Israelis – dead or alive – from captivity, no matter how much time has passed, connects the very fibers that make Israel unlike any other country.
IDF Spokesman R.-Adm. Daniel Hagari described Shaul’s rescue as “a significant intelligence and operational undertaking that lasted over the past decade since his fall and abduction, and especially during the war and over the past few days.”
A solemn measure of closure
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Shaul’s mother, Zehava, that the images of Shaul and Goldin “have stood in my office as a daily reminder of my commitment to bringing them home… tonight, we fulfilled the mission of returning Oron. We will not rest, and we will not stop until Hadar Goldin is also brought back to Israel.”
Defense Minister Israel Katz added, “Oron Shaul has come home,” calling his return “a solemn moment, yet it brings a measure of closure for the Shaul family, who never stopped fighting to bring their son home.
“I extend my heartfelt embrace to the Shaul family during this painful time and salute the dedicated security forces who worked for years with an unwavering commitment to ensure Oron could finally be laid to rest in Israel.”
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum made the connection between Shaul’s return and the expected release of 33 hostages held in Gaza during the first phase of the ceasefire beginning on Sunday, stating, “Returning Oron for eternal rest in Israel fulfills the basic moral and ethical obligation that the State of Israel has to all its citizens.”
Among the Israelis on the list of 33 slated for release over the next 42 days are two people who were not taken hostage in the current war. Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed, who have mental health conditions, have been held in Gaza for a decade since crossing over to the Strip on their own accord.
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Their expected return to their loved ones on day 42 of the ceasefire agreement is another example of the long memory that Israel has when it comes to its citizens.
“I never thought I would live to see this day,” said a visibly emotional Zehava Shaul, thanking “all those who made this supreme effort and returned Oron to me, including the prime minister and the security establishment. I hope they return all the hostages who are still in Gaza.”
May the family of Hadar Goldin be able soon to make the same statement and complete the arduous journey of welcoming their son to his final resting place.
As Sunday’s news about Shaul demonstrated, Israel doesn’t forget its obligations to its soldiers and its citizens.
Netanyahu tied the rescue of Shaul’s body to the historic hostage release that is going to be played out in real time over the coming weeks. As of press time, the three Israelis to be freed in Sunday’s initial release are Romi Gonen, Emily Damari, and Doron Steinbrecher.
“Our dedication remains steadfast: We will continue working to bring all our captives home – both the living and the fallen.”
English (US) ·