Night operation in Lebanon aims to recover body of missing Israeli Ron Arad

Israeli special forces carried out an overnight operation deep inside Lebanon in an effort to locate artifacts related to missing Israeli Air Force navigator Lt. Col. Ron Arad, who disappeared in 1986. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed the mission took place near the village of Nabi Shit in the Bekaa Valley under heavy aerial cover from the Israeli Air Force.

While the forces were able to conduct the operation safely, no remains or artifacts linked to Arad were found. The IDF described the mission as an operational success, noting that it allowed them to rule out one potential location connected to the decades-long search for Arad.

“There were no casualties among our forces,” the military said, and clarified that reports from Lebanese media suggesting Israeli troops encountered resistance were inaccurate. According to the IDF, any Lebanese casualties were the result of airstrikes targeting individuals approaching Israeli forces, not direct ground combat.

Earlier reports from Hezbollah and Lebanese outlets claimed Israeli helicopters attempted a landing in the area and withdrew under air cover after facing local fighters; the IDF did not confirm these accounts. Israeli forces collected intelligence material and returned safely.

Ron Arad was captured after ejecting from his aircraft over Lebanon in 1986, and despite decades of searches and intelligence operations, his fate remains unknown, making his case one of Israel’s longest-standing missing servicemember mysteries. The IDF has repeatedly emphasized its commitment to locating Arad.

“The IDF will continue to operate tirelessly, day and night, out of a deep commitment to bringing all of our sons — the fallen and the missing — home to Israel,” the military said.

Arad’s widow, Tami Arad, responded to the operation, stressing the importance of prioritizing soldiers’ lives over recovery efforts.

“After this operation, we realize that our message until now has not been fully understood by decision-makers. We want to be clear: our desire to know what happened to Ron stops when the lives of IDF soldiers are at risk. For us, the sanctity of life comes before the obligation to recover a soldier’s remains. This has been our guiding principle for the loved ones who have gone missing over the last 40 years.”

She added, “As a family, we have repeatedly stated that we oppose any operations that could endanger soldiers. Therefore, we ask the Prime Minister of Israel and all involved in intelligence efforts regarding Ron: we deeply appreciate the commitment of the State of Israel, but we request that no operation be undertaken that poses even minimal risk to soldiers. Forty years we have lived with Ron being missing. We want to know what happened to him, but not at any cost. Life is sacred above all. We would rather live with the painful possibility that Ron’s remains are in Lebanon than wake up to news that an IDF soldier was hurt or killed in an attempt to recover him, if indeed the remains are his.”