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

The Israel Defense Forces announced on Wednesday that after a lengthy investigation, they have identified the burial site of IDF soldier Shlomo Haimson in Haifa, whose resting place had been unknown for almost 78 years. Haimson is buried in grave number 11, row 2, in the Cyprus immigrant section of the Haifa cemetery. Born in Romania in 1930, Haimson lost his father during World War II and immigrated to Mandatory Palestine with his mother and fiancée via a ship intercepted by the British, leading to their internment in Cyprus detention camps.

While in the camp, Haimson joined the "Defenders" under the Haganah organization, preparing for military service in Israel. After the establishment of the state, his mother and fiancée were released to Israel, but Haimson remained in Cyprus. In September 1948, upon learning of his daughter's birth, he attempted to escape the camp with eight others on the night of September 29-30. They were spotted by guards who opened fire, killing Haimson while the others were captured and returned to the camp.

Haimson was buried anonymously in the Jewish cemetery in Margo, Cyprus, with an unmarked gravestone since camp personnel did not know him. In 1970, "Operation Margo" repatriated 163 bodies from Cyprus to Israel, many unidentified and buried anonymously in a special section of the Kfar Samir cemetery in Haifa. Efforts to identify Haimson’s grave continued for decades. In 2010, Amir Rogel of the Cyprus Immigrants Association initiated a project to identify and name the deceased, confirming Haimson as a fallen soldier and prompting a search for his grave.

In 2023, a special IDF Missing Persons Unit team conducted archival research, interviews, photo analysis, and archaeological surveys, concluding that Haimson’s remains were brought to Israel in 1970 and buried in Haifa. The IDF’s Personnel Directorate approved placing a gravestone with his name. Haimson’s family, including his daughter Miriam and descendants living in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, were informed and plan to visit Israel for a state military ceremony at the immigrant section in Haifa, where a named gravestone will be added.

IDF Deputy Chief of Human Resources, Brigadier General Edna Ilia, emphasized the moral duty to honor Haimson and his family, restoring his identity and rightful place in the nation’s memory. The family expressed deep gratitude and relief at the closure of this long-standing chapter, describing the news as bringing "incomparable peace."