IDF Locates Burial Site of 1948 Independence War Fallen Yaakov Zarhyan After 15-Year Investigation

The Israel Defense Forces announced the discovery of the burial site of Private Yaakov Zarhyan, a fallen soldier from the 1948 Independence War, nearly 80 years after his death. Zarhyan was a combat driver in the Etzioni Brigade and was killed during the Harel Operation while participating in a supply convoy to besieged Jerusalem on April 20, 1948. His burial location had remained unknown until now.

The breakthrough came after a 15-year investigation led by the IDF's Missing Persons Unit within the Casualties Division. The inquiry involved extensive efforts including document analysis, witness interviews, ground surveys, and archaeological studies. These efforts concluded that Zarhyan was buried in the Harel Brigade military cemetery at Kibbutz Kiryat Anavim alongside seven other fallen soldiers.

Yaakov Zarhyan immigrated to Israel from Casablanca, Morocco, in December 1947 aboard the immigrant ship "HaPoratzim" and joined the "Sneh" training group at Kibbutz Ramat HaKovesh. He enlisted in the transportation corps on April 12, 1948, and was assigned as a combat driver to the Etzioni Brigade. He was killed in combat near Sha'ar HaGai and buried on April 22, 1948.

The family, including Zarhyan's sisters, received the update from the IDF's Chief Human Resources Officer and head of the Casualties Division, Brigadier General Edna Ilia. A state military ceremony will soon be held to place a memorial plaque at his grave, closing the chapter on his disappearance after 78 years.

The IDF emphasized its ongoing commitment to locating missing soldiers and returning fallen soldiers to their families, underscoring the moral and ethical responsibility it holds toward bereaved families.