IDF Identifies Burial Site of 1948 Soldier Yaakov Zarhyan After 15-Year Search

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Shin Bet have located the burial site of Private Yaakov Zarhyan, who fell during the 1948 supply convoys to Jerusalem in Operation Harel. Zarhyan's resting place had been unknown since his death in the battle near Sha'ar HaGai on April 20, 1948. The discovery was announced on Wednesday following a 15-year investigation led by the IDF's Missing Persons Division within the Casualties Branch.

The extensive inquiry, which intensified in 2024 with the formation of a special investigative team, involved collecting and analyzing documents, interviewing witnesses, conducting ground surveys, and archaeological examinations. These efforts concluded that Zarhyan was buried in the Harel Brigade military cemetery in Kiryat Anavim alongside seven other fallen soldiers.

Yaakov Zarhyan immigrated to Israel from Casablanca, Morocco, in December 1947 aboard the immigrant ship "HaPoretz" as part of the Habonim movement. He trained at Kibbutz Ramat HaKovesh and enlisted in 1948, serving as a driver in the Etzioni Brigade. Zarhyan was killed during the convoy battle near Sha'ar HaGai and was buried on April 22, 1948, at the military cemetery in Kiryat Anavim.

His family, including his sisters, received an update from Brigadier General Edna Ilia, head of the IDF's Human Resources and Casualties Division, confirming the resolution of the mystery surrounding his disappearance. This identification brings closure to a long-standing case dating back to Israel's War of Independence.