Sergeant Oron Shaul, who was killed by Hamas during Operation Protective Edge yet whose body was abducted by the brutal terror organization, was laid to rest and given a proper funeral, over 10 years after his death.
By Rachel Avraham
Sergeant Oron Shaul, who was killed by Hamas during Operation Protective Edge yet whose body was abducted by the brutal terror organization, was laid to rest and given a proper funeral, over 10 years after his death. This came after the IDF was able to rescue his body from Gaza during the last days of Operation Iron Swords. Oron was buried in the Poria Illit cemetery, next to his father Herzl.
Yedioth Achronot reported Shaul’s father, Herzl, passed away in 2016 after a battle with cancer, which he attributed to the anguish of waiting for his son’s return. Before his death, he described the toll the ordeal had taken on his health and his family.
Zahava Shaul delivered a heart-wrenching eulogy to her son: “My dear Oron, no words can capture who you truly were. For 10 and a half years, I waited for you, and each day became harder. I thought, ‘Now he’ll never return. Others will come back, but not you. And I’ll have to go on living without you.’”
Expressing her appreciation for the surprise rescue of Oron’s body from Gaza, she said, “I waited so many years and never believed this day would come. I thank the IDF, the Shin Bet and the prime minister for finally bringing you back. I love you so much, I don’t even know how to put it into words. It’s so hard. It’s so very hard. I have so much more to say, but I don’t have the strength anymore.”
In her closing words, Zahava addressed Oron and the attendees: “Look at all your friends who loved you—they’re all here to say goodbye. I want to thank those who rescued you and wish a full recovery to all the injured soldiers. To those still in Gaza, I hope they’re released as soon and as safely as possible. I love you, Mom.”
On the morning of July 20, 2014, during a fierce battle in the Shejaiya neighborhood, an M-113 armored personnel carrier from the Golani Brigade was directly hit by an anti-tank missile, the Jerusalem Post reported. The attack killed six soldiers and Oron’s fate was unknown, till a few days later, when Hamas claimed that they captured the body, which led to Israel leading a long struggle to reclaim the body, so that Oron could have a proper Jewish funeral.
In December 2023, Golani Brigade soldiers and a tactical team from the 188th Armored Brigade destroyed Palestine Square in Shijaiyah, where Hamas had erected a statue commemorating the 2014 incident, Yedioth Achronot reported. The statue, featuring a fist emerging from an armored vehicle clutching dog tags—including one bearing Shaul’s name—was dismantled as part of the IDF’s operations in Gaza.
According to Arutz Sheva, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated: “Just as we pledged to return Oron for burial, as we have so far returned most of our hostages from Hamas captivity, and we will continue to do so. We will not rest and we will not stop until we bring home Hadar Goldin and all our hostages – both alive and dead – and achieve all the goals of the war in Gaza.” Goldin’s body was also abducted during Operation Protective Edge, yet has still not been recovered to Israel.
Arutz Sheva reported that Israel’s President Herzog spoke at the funeral and mentioned the long ten years during which the family waited for Oron. “He always knew that he was fighting for his nation, his country, for the light. I remember when I was informed that his body had been taken hostage. He was dedicated to his mission.” Herzog continued, “We must never leave anyone behind and thankfully, after ten years, we have managed to bring him home. The whole nation has been watching you, and your family, and now I say ‘sorry, sorry for the ten years that it took us to bring him home.'”
Yedioth Achronot noted that in addition to holding onto the remains of Hadar Goldin, Hamas and the other Palestinian terror groups in Gaza hold still 94 hostages, including Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed, civilians captured in 2014 and 2015, respectively, who are expected to be part of the first phase of the hostage release deal.
