IDF Identifies Burial Site of Soldier Shlomo Haimson After Nearly 78 Years

The Israel Defense Forces, in cooperation with the Ministry of Defense and the Cyprus Immigrants Association, have located the burial site of Shlomo Haimson, an IDF soldier whose resting place was previously unknown. Haimson, who was among Jewish refugees deported to Cyprus by the British Mandate authorities, died during an escape attempt from the Kraulos detention camp on the night of September 29-30, 1948. He was initially buried in the Jewish cemetery in the town of Margo, Cyprus.

In 1970, the remains of many deportees, including Haimson's, were transferred to Israel and reburied in a special section for immigrants at the Kfar Samir cemetery in Haifa, mostly as unknown soldiers. A dedicated investigation launched in 2023 by the IDF's Missing Soldiers Unit, together with the Military Rabbinate and the Cyprus Immigrants Association, used archival research, testimonies, photo analysis, and archaeological surveys to confirm Haimson's exact grave location as grave number 11, row 2, in the immigrants' section of the Haifa cemetery.

Shlomo Haimson was born in Romania in 1930 and immigrated to Palestine aboard the immigrant ship Pan York with his mother and fiancée after World War II. After being detained in Cyprus, he joined the Haganah forces in the camps and trained as a fighter. Upon learning of his daughter's birth in September 1948, he attempted to escape to Israel but was shot and killed by camp guards.

The IDF recently informed Haimson's family, who now live in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, about the discovery. A military-state ceremony will be held in Israel to place a marked gravestone in his honor, closing a nearly 78-year chapter. IDF officials emphasized their ongoing commitment to locating missing soldiers and honoring their memory. Haimson's family expressed deep gratitude for the efforts to restore his identity and dignity.

The investigation and reburial efforts reflect the IDF's moral and ethical dedication to all fallen soldiers and their families, ensuring no soldier is forgotten even decades after their death.