IDF says soldier missing since 1948 war determined to be buried near Jerusalem

A soldier killed in Israel’s War of Independence who had been considered missing for 78 years has been identified as buried in a mass grave in a kibbutz near Jerusalem, the military announced Wednesday.

Pvt. Yaakov Zarihan was killed in action on April 20, 1948, while in a convoy heading to Jerusalem as part of Operation Harel.

The convoy of some 300 vehicles and armored vehicles was bringing supplies to the besieged city and troops to the area.

Zarihan was killed in battle near Sha’ar Hagai, along with 13 other members of the convoy. Following the battle, Zarihan was listed as a fallen soldier whose burial site was unknown.

“After years of intensive efforts during which information was collected to determine Yaakov’s fate, a special investigation team was established in 2024, carrying out numerous and varied investigative actions to locate the burial place of the late Yaakov Zarihan,” the Israel Defense Forces said.

The IDF said its investigation included “document analysis, witness interrogation, soil analysis and archaeological surveys.”

The investigation led to the conclusion that Zarihan was buried on April 22, 1948, in a mass grave at the Harel Brigade Cemetery in Kibbutz Kiryat Anavim, along with seven other fallen soldiers.

On Tuesday evening, Adjutant Corps Chief Brig. Gen. Edna Ilia updated Zarihan’s family, including his sisters, on the findings.

Zarihan immigrated to British Mandatory Palestine from Casablanca, Morocco, in December 1947. He joined the army in 1948 and became a transportation driver.

The IDF said that in the near future, an official ceremony will be held to add a headstone with Zarihan’s name to the cemetery at Kiryat Anavim.