“For decades, Zvika’s disappearance remained a painful mystery, yet the search never ceased,” Netanyahu stated. “Today, we bring home Sgt. 1st Class Zvika. Our efforts to recover Sgt. 1st Class Yehuda Katz, also missing from that conflict, will continue.”
Feldman, along with Katz and Zachary Baumel, vanished during the Battle of Sultan Yacoub in the First Lebanon War. The battle, fought in the Bekaa Valley against Syrian forces, resulted in 21 Israeli soldiers killed and 30 wounded. While Baumel’s remains were located and returned to Israel in 2019 through a joint operation with Russia and Syria, Katz’s fate remains unknown.
Netanyahu’s statement credited a joint Mossad and Israel Defense Forces operation for Feldman’s recovery. The National Center for Forensic Medicine confirmed the identity of the remains. A subsequent Mossad statement specified that the remains were found “in the heart of Syria.”
Netanyahu revealed his authorization of numerous clandestine operations aimed at finding the missing soldiers, highlighting his commitment to the Feldman family, to whom he had promised to relentlessly pursue Zvika’s return.
Born in Tel Aviv on December 29, 1956, Feldman had completed his military service and was working as a nature guide when war broke out. He and his girlfriend were planning their wedding at the time.
“My dear parents, Pnina and Avraham, tirelessly pursued this matter, sadly passing before seeing this day,” Netanyahu said. “Itzik, Shlomo and Anat—we return your beloved Zvika, to you, and to the land he cherished.”
Quoting the prophet Jeremiah, Netanyahu offered words of hope: “There is hope for your future, says the Lord, and your children shall return to their borders.”
