IDF Locates Burial Site of Soldier Missing for 78 Years from 1948 Jerusalem Convoy Battle

After 78 years of uncertainty, the Israel Defense Forces have officially identified the burial site of Private Yaakov Zarayen, who was killed in 1948 during a fierce battle at Shaar HaGai as part of the Harel Operation supply convoys to Jerusalem. The conclusion of a 15-year intensive investigation by the IDF's Missing Soldiers Unit confirmed that Zarayen is buried in a mass grave at the military cemetery in Kiryat Anavim alongside seven other soldiers from the same convoy.

Zarayen's family was formally informed of the findings by Brigadier General Edna Ilia, head of the IDF's Human Resources and Casualties Division. A state military ceremony will soon be held at Kiryat Anavim to place a memorial plaque in his honor, closing a painful chapter that began with his death on April 20, 1948, and burial two days later in an unmarked grave.

Born in Casablanca, Morocco, Zarayen immigrated to Israel in December 1947 aboard the immigrant ship "HaPoretzim." He joined the "Sneh" training group and later enlisted in the transportation corps, serving as a driver in the Etzioni Brigade. During the historic Harel convoy operation, which involved about 300 vehicles attempting to break the siege of Jerusalem, Zarayen was killed in combat at Shaar HaGai along with 13 comrades.

The breakthrough in the investigation came in 2024 when the IDF formed a special investigative team that combined archival research, witness interviews, advanced ground analysis, and archaeological surveys at the cemetery. This multidisciplinary approach conclusively located Zarayen's remains.

The IDF emphasized its ongoing commitment to locating missing soldiers and providing closure to bereaved families. Zarayen's sister, Yvonne Cohen, expressed profound relief and hope, saying the discovery allows her children to recite Kaddish at his grave for the first time. Brigadier General Ilia described the case as a meaningful closure and a moral duty fulfilled by the military.