Mother of Fallen Golani Fighter Oron Shaul Passes Away a Year After His Body's Return from Gaza

Zehava Shaul, mother of Sergeant Oron Shaul of the Golani Brigade, passed away a year and a half after her son's body was recovered from Gaza and returned to Israel. Oron Shaul was captured by Hamas during the 2014 Operation Protective Edge and held for a decade before being brought back in a special joint operation by the IDF and Shin Bet in January 2025, during the Iron Swords conflict. His body was buried in the Poria Illit cemetery in the Jordan Valley, where his mother is also expected to be laid to rest, though funeral details have not yet been announced.

For ten years, Zehava Shaul and her family led a persistent public and political campaign to secure the return of Oron's remains, which were held by Hamas as a bargaining chip. Her husband, Hertzel Shaul, who died in 2016, had shared the struggle with her but did not live to see their son's return. Oron Shaul, born December 27, 1993, was the second of three sons and was awarded the President's Citation shortly before his death.

Oron was killed on July 20, 2014, during the battle of Shuja'iyya when an M-113 armored personnel carrier he was riding was hit by an anti-tank missile, killing six soldiers and leading to his body being taken by Hamas. The recovery operation, named "Operation Return to Us," marked the closure of a long chapter for the family. Zehava Shaul is survived by two sons.

Summary: Zehava Shaul, mother of Golani Brigade soldier Oron Shaul whose body was held by Hamas for a decade, died a year after his remains were returned to Israel and buried in Poria Illit. She had led a decade-long campaign for his return following his death in 2014 during Operation Protective Edge.

Points: - Zehava Shaul died a year and a half after her son Oron's body was returned from Gaza. - Oron Shaul was captured and held by Hamas for ten years after his 2014 death. - His remains were recovered in January 2025 during a joint IDF-Shin Bet operation. - Zehava and her late husband Hertzel led a long public campaign for Oron's return. - Oron was killed in the 2014 battle of Shuja'iyya when his vehicle was hit. - Zehava Shaul is survived by two sons and will likely be buried alongside Oron in Poria Illit.

Topic: security israel_relevant: true Entities: {"people":["Zehava Shaul","Oron Shaul","Hertzel Shaul"],"organizations":["Golani Brigade","IDF","Shin Bet","Hamas"],"places":["Gaza","Poria Illit","Jordan Valley","Shuja'iyya"]}