Shaul, a Golani Brigade fighter, was killed in the Shejaiya fighting during the 2014 Gaza war and abducted by Hamas terrorists.
By Shmuli Volkin, Jewish Breaking News
The IDF and Shin Bet have now released new details about Operation “Red South,” a covert mission carried out inside Gaza that ultimately recovered the body of Staff Sgt. Oron Shaul after Hamas held his remains for years.
Shaul, a Golani Brigade fighter, was killed in the Shejaiya fighting during the 2014 Gaza war and abducted by Hamas terrorists—turning his name into a national symbol of Israel’s vow not to leave anyone behind.
According to the IDF, the breakthrough came through interrogations of detainees that pointed to a civilian property in Gaza City where Shaul had been held over time. After additional intelligence was gathered, forces moved in to apprehend a “key individual” residing at that same property; during Shin Bet interrogation, he provided precise information about Shaul’s location, and the seizure itself was carried out by Sayeret Matkal.
One day later, the Shin Bet, Shayetet 13, and the 188th Armored Brigade—operating under the 162nd Division and guided by the Hostages and Missing Persons Headquarters—raided the site and recovered Shaul from that civilian property. The IDF says the plan was built specifically to avoid endangering living hostages who were still being held in Gaza City at the time.
The recovery itself became public in January 2025, when the IDF announced Shaul’s remains had been brought back to Israel in a special joint operation, identified at Abu Kabir, and returned to his family—coming just before a ceasefire took effect. At the time, Prime Minister Netanyahu framed it as closing one painful chapter while keeping pressure on the next, saying Israel “will not rest” until it also returns Lt. Hadar Goldin and all hostages—living and fallen.
Shaul was laid to rest in Poria Illit near the Sea of Galilee, next to his father Herzl, who died in 2016 without seeing his son brought home—another detail that has long sharpened public resolve around the issue. The IDF chief of staff later emphasized the same principle in blunt terms: every lead, every effort, until everyone is home.
Do You Love Israel? Make a Donation - Show Your Support!
Donate to vital charities that help protect Israeli citizens and inspire millions around the world to support Israel too!
Now more than ever, Israel needs your help to fight and win the war -- including on the battlefield of public opinion.
Antisemitism, anti-Israel bias and boycotts are out of control. Israel's enemies are inciting terror and violence against innocent Israelis and Jews around the world. Help us fight back!