Sgt. First Class Yehuda Katz Laid to Rest on the Mount of Olives After 44 Years

The remains of Sgt. First Class Yehuda Katz were brought back from Lebanon and interred at the Jewish cemetery on the Mount of Olives, ending a 44-year search that began with his disappearance during the 1982 battle of Sultan Yacoub in Lebanon’s Beqaa Valley. The funeral procession began at the Kerem B’Yavne yeshiva, where Katz had studied before enlisting, and was attended by hundreds of mourners, including senior security officials.

Times of Israel

The Sultan Yacoub engagement resulted in the deaths of 21 Israeli servicemen and injured more than 30. Alongside Katz, Sgt. First Class Zachary Baumel and Sgt. First Class Zvi Feldman also went missing. Baumel’s remains were returned in 2019 with Russian assistance; Feldman’s were recovered by Mossad agents in May 2025. Katz’s bones were recovered in a special operation coordinated by the Military Intelligence Directorate and the Mossad spy agency.

Times of Israel

Mossad chief Roman Gofman and former hostage-negotiation pointman Gal Hirsch were present, underscoring the operation’s significance to Israel’s missing-persons effort. Rabbi Mordechai Greenberg, head of the Kerem B’Yavneh yeshiva, highlighted Katz as evidence that military service does not preclude a religious lifestyle, referencing ongoing debate over ultra-Orthodox conscription. Col. Gal Levy, commander of the 10th Armored Brigade, praised Katz’s ability to bridge “different worlds” and expressed hope that he would be the last of the fallen.

Times of Israel

• 44 years elapsed between Katz’s disappearance and burial.

Times of Israel

• Battle of Sultan Yacoub: 21 Israeli fatalities, >30 injuries.

Times of Israel

• Baumel’s remains returned 2019 (Russian assistance).

Times of Israel

• Feldman’s remains recovered May 2025 (Mossad).

Times of Israel

• “As far as we are concerned, Yehuda was killed this week, not 44 years ago.” — Avi Katz

Times of Israel

• “The legacy Yehuda left us is the understanding that you can come from different worlds and [still] fight alongside each other. Yehuda wasn’t forced to choose between worlds, he naturally connected them,” — Col. Gal Levy

Times of Israel