IDF Identifies Burial Site of Soldier Missing Since 1948 Independence War

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has located the burial site of Private Yaakov Zarhyan, a soldier whose resting place had been unknown since the 1948 War of Independence. Zarhyan was killed in battle near Shaar HaGai on April 20, 1948, during Operation Harel, which involved a convoy of around 300 vehicles and armored personnel heading to Jerusalem. He was buried on April 22, 1948, in a military cemetery at Kibbutz Kiryat Anavim alongside seven other IDF soldiers from the same operation.

Yaakov Zarhyan immigrated to Israel in December 1947 from Casablanca, Morocco, aboard the immigrant ship "HaPoretzim." He joined the "Sneh" training group at Kibbutz Ramat HaKovesh and enlisted in the IDF's transportation corps on April 12, 1948. After years of intensive investigation by the IDF's Missing Soldiers Unit, a special investigative team established in 2024 conducted extensive research including document analysis, witness interviews, ground surveys, and archaeological studies. These efforts confirmed Zarhyan's burial location in the Harel Division military cemetery at Kiryat Anavim.

In the coming weeks, a state military ceremony will be held to place a memorial plaque at Zarhyan's grave, marking the closure of this chapter 78 years after his death. The IDF continues its moral and ethical commitment to locating missing soldiers and providing closure to bereaved families. Brigadier General Edna Ilia, Head of Human Resources and the Wounded Soldiers Division, emphasized the significance of the investigation's conclusion and the ongoing dedication to supporting families of fallen soldiers.