IDF Locates 1948 Fallen Soldier Yaakov Zarhyan’s Grave After 78 Years

The Israel Defense Forces announced the discovery of the burial site of Private Yaakov Zarhyan, who fell during the 1948 "Harel" operation supplying besieged Jerusalem. Zarhyan’s resting place had been unknown for 78 years until a dedicated investigation by the IDF’s Missing Soldiers Unit, lasting about 15 years, successfully identified it.

Yaakov Zarhyan, who immigrated alone from Morocco in 1946, was part of the "Banim" movement from Casablanca and joined the "Sneh" training group before enlisting in the IDF’s transportation service in April 1948. He participated in a large convoy of approximately 300 vehicles and armored cars led by David Ben-Gurion on April 20, 1948, which was ambushed near Sha'ar HaGai, where Zarhyan and 13 comrades were killed. He was initially buried in a mass grave at the military cemetery in Kibbutz Kiryat Anavim.

The search for Zarhyan’s grave was supported by the nonprofit "Giving Faces to the Fallen," which works to uncover missing details about IDF casualties. A key breakthrough came when a Facebook post connected the investigators with Zarhyan’s niece, leading to new family testimonies and details about his life and sacrifice. Eyewitness accounts and archival research were combined with archaeological surveys to confirm his burial alongside seven other soldiers in the Harel Brigade cemetery at Kiryat Anavim.

This discovery not only provides closure to Zarhyan’s family but also enriches the historical record of those who fought in Israel’s War of Independence. The IDF’s special investigative team continues to work on locating other missing soldiers from that period.