44 years after his disappearance, the remains of Maj. Katz were found and identified by the IDF

Israel has recovered the remains of armored corps officer Maj. Gen. Yehuda Yekutiel Katz, who was killed during the 1982 Battle of Sultan Yacoub in Lebanon, Prime Minister Netanyahu said Tuesday.

Netanyahu said the remains were recovered in a joint operation by the Israel Defense Forces and Mossad, bringing to an end more than four decades of uncertainty over Katz’s fate.

Yehuda Katz was just ten days away from completing his military service when he disappeared during the Battle of Sultan Yacoub, considered one of the most tragic episodes of the First Lebanon War.

The fighting took place during the night and morning of June 11, 1982, six days after the outbreak of the war and just hours before a ceasefire was to take effect. The IDF suffered heavy losses, with numerous soldiers killed, wounded, or captured.

Three Israeli soldiers had been missing since then: Yehuda Katz, Zachary Baumel, and Zvi Feldman. Zachary Baumel's remains were recovered and repatriated to Israel in April 2019.

Zvi Feldman's remains were brought back to Israel in May 2025, following a complex, multi-stage Mossad operation in Syrian territory. This mission carried such high risks that senior Israeli security officials considered canceling it. With the identification of Yehuda Katz's remains, all three soldiers missing from the Battle of Sultan Yacoub have now been found and returned to Israel.

“For many years, I authorized many secret operations to locate the missing from Sultan Yacoub,” Netanyahu said. “I promised their families that we would never stop working to bring them home.”

Netanyahu paid tribute to Katz’s parents, Sarah and Yosef, who he said had spent years searching for their son but died before his remains could be returned.

He also thanked the IDF, Mossad, Shin Bet and other security and intelligence personnel involved in the operation, saying the government remained committed to recovering the remains of missing and fallen Israelis.

The Battle of Sultan Yacoub took place in June 1982 during Israel’s invasion of Lebanon. Several Israeli soldiers were killed, wounded or went missing in the fighting.

Netanyahu concluded his statement by quoting the biblical prophet Jeremiah: “And there is hope for your future, says the Lord, and that your children may return to their border.”