The Israeli army returned the soldier who had been imprisoned in Gaza since 2014

In the year Israel’s military has announced that it has found a soldier killed in the Gaza war in 2014 who has since been held hostage by Hamas.

The body of Staff Sgt Oron Shaul was found during a “covert, special operation” in Gaza by the Israeli army and the Shin Bet security service, the statement said.

The family was informed following an identification process by the National Institute of Forensic Medicine and the Military Rabbinate.

Hamas was expected to hand over Shaul’s body as part of the new Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal, which was supposed to take effect on Sunday morning but was delayed.

Israel Defense Forces Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari Shaul On July 20, 2014, he was “killed in battle” and “kidnapped by the Hamas terrorist organization” in the eastern Shejaya district of Gaza City.

“This has been a massive intelligence and operational operation over the last ten years, especially during the war and the last few days, since the fall and the kidnapping,” he told the briefing.

He said that after bringing Shaul’s body home, the funeral was carried out by special forces comprising the Directorate of Defense Intelligence, Shayt 13 Marine Commando Unit and Shin Bet officers.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the special forces involved for their “ingenuity and bravery”.

Photos of Shaul and Goldin “have been in front of me in my office for many years, testifying every day to my determination to bring them home,” he said.

“We have completed the mission of returning Oron and we will not rest until we complete the mission of returning the Hadar gold,” he added.

We will continue to work for the return of all our hostages, living and dead.

Netanyahu made the statement shortly after his speech. The Gaza ceasefire will be delayed until Hamas confirms the names of the first hostages it plans to release. In exchange for Palestinian prisoners.

Hamas said it was unable to hand over the list due to a technical problem and said it was still committed to the agreement.

In response to the October 7, 2023 attack, which left 1,200 dead and 251 hostages, Israel launched a campaign to eliminate Hamas.

About 46,900 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the state’s Hamas-run Health Ministry. 2.3 million people have been displaced, most of them have been displaced from their villages, there is massive destruction, and in the fight to help the needy, there is a huge shortage of food, fuel, medicine and shelter.

Israel said that 94 of the hostages are still being held by Hamas, and 34 of them are said to be dead.

The first six-week ceasefire saw 33 hostages – including women, children and the elderly – exchanged for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

Israeli forces will withdraw further east from the heavily populated Gaza Strip, allowing displaced Palestinians to begin returning to their homes and allowing hundreds of aid trucks to enter the territory each day.

The second phase of negotiations – which would require the release of the remaining hostages, the complete withdrawal of the Israeli army and a return to “sustainable stability” – will begin on the 16th, after the ceasefire.

The third and final phase involves rebuilding Gaza – something that could take years – and the return of the remaining hostages.