IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir spoke this evening with the family of Sgt. First Class Yehuda Katz, whose remains were recovered by the military overnight, 44 years after he died in battle in the First Lebanon War.
“After 44 years, the Battle of Sultan Yacoub has come to an end. All those missing from the battle have been returned to Israel. This is a special day for me, both as chief of the general staff and as a soldier of the Armored Corps,” says Zamir to the family, according to remarks published by the IDF.
“From the day I enlisted in the Armored Corps, I was raised on the legacy of that battle and on the moral commitment to bring all of our missing home. An entire nation stands united with you and shares in your emotion today,” he adds.
The IDF says that Katz’s family thanked Zamir for the efforts to bring his remains to Israel for burial, and added that “his funeral would unite the entire nation and would be held in a manner reflecting his unique character.”
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From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, August 18, 2026
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