Brother of Last Missing Soldier from Sultan Yaakov Declares Him Dead After 44 Years

Roman Gofman, head of Mossad, and retired Brigadier General Gal Hirsch, coordinator for prisoners and missing persons, attended the funeral of Yehuda Katz, the last missing soldier from the Sultan Yaakov battle who was recovered after 44 years. At the funeral, Yehuda's brother delivered a eulogy, reflecting on the long wait and the recent identification of his remains. He recounted asking if they were obligated to observe the traditional seven-day mourning period after such a long time. A rabbi responded by asking how they felt upon the identification, to which they replied with deep pain and sorrow. The rabbi then affirmed that they must observe the mourning period because until now, they had not given up hope of finding Yehuda alive. The brother concluded by stating that for them, Yehuda died this week, not 44 years ago.