After 43 years, 'Israel' recovers body of soldier Zvi Feldman
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After recovering the body of one of its soldiers missing since 1982, "Israel" confirms ongoing talks with Syria over the return of spy Eli Cohen’s remains.
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A photo of Israeli soldier Zvi Feldman (Israeli media)
Contacts are underway between Syria and "Israel" regarding the return of the remains of Eli Cohen, the Israeli spy executed in Damascus in 1965, according to a senior Israeli intelligence official quoted by Israeli media on Sunday.
The talks come amid an ongoing campaign of Israeli bombings on Syrian territory since the fall of Bashar al-Assad's government, including a strike near the presidential palace in Damascus in early May.
Syria’s interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa confirmed Wednesday that the two sides are engaged in “indirect talks” through mediators to prevent a deterioration of the situation.
'Israel' recovers Zvi Feldman’s remains from inside Syria
In parallel to the discussions over Cohen, the Israeli occupation military and Mossad announced the recovery of the remains of Sgt. First Class Zvi Feldman, missing since the 1982 Battle of Sultan Yacoub in western Lebanon.
According to a statement, Feldman’s remains were found deep in “the heart of Syria” and transferred to the occupied Palestinian territories following a “special operation". The operation reportedly drew from decades of intelligence gathering and field missions.
“This marks the completion of extensive and complex operational intelligence efforts that spanned over four decades,” the statement read, comparing the operation to the 2019 recovery of Zachary Baumel’s remains from the Yarmouk refugee camp.
The family of missing soldier Sgt. First Class Yehuda Katz was notified of the developments. “We continue to act in every way to also return Sgt. First Class Yehuda Katz and fulfill our duty for him and his family,” said Security Minister Israel Katz.
Baumel’s remains were recovered from the Yarmouk refugee camp, one of Syria’s largest Palestinian communities, with the help of Russia. In 2016, Russia also facilitated the return of an Israeli tank lost during the same battle.
Israeli military presence deepens post-Assad
Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government in December, Israeli occupation forces have expanded their presence in southern Syria. Infiltrating a UN-monitored buffer zone, the occupation has established nine outposts and is reportedly operating as far as 15 kilometers inside Syrian territory.
"Israel" claims its operations aim to prevent the transfer of weapons to what it labels as "hostile actors".
What was the Battle of Sultan Yacoub?
The Battle of Sultan Yacoub, fought on June 11, 1982, during "Israel’s" invasion of Lebanon, remains one of the most notable confrontations of the campaign.
Feldman and other soldiers went missing during the engagement, sparking decades-long intelligence and recovery operations.
The battle unfolded in the Beqaa Valley near the Syrian border, where Syrian forces and Palestinian factions resisted Israeli occupation forces.
The battle ended in failure for "Israel", with 21 soldiers killed and over 30 wounded.
