While Israeli jets were bombing Iran on Friday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched a dangerous ground operation in Lebanon as the IDF's special units entered a small village in the Bekaa Valley with helicopters and heavy machinery, their mission; to find Ron Arad, an Israeli soldier who went missing in the area around 40 years ago.
Why IDF searched Bekaa Valley cemetery?
According to The Jerusalem Post, Israeli special forces entered Lebanon in helicopters via the Syrian border and landed at a cemetery in the village of Nabi Chit in the Bekaa Valley, with the goal to bring back the remains of Ron Arad, who they believe was killed and buried here, 40 years ago in 1986.
However, the IDF encountered Hezbollah fighters enroute, triggering a fierce gunbattle in which 16 deaths and 35 injuries were reported.
According to the IDF, its forces did not suffer any losses in the encounter, though its unclear whether all the dead were Hezbollah fighters or if any civilians became collateral damage.
Did Israel find Ron Arad's remains?
In a statement, the IDF said it could not locate the remains of Ron Arad, but maintained that the operation would continue, stating that it would continue working "tirelessly" to bring the remains of all martyrs and missing persons back home to Israel.
"We have been striving tirelessly to achieve this goal for many years. Last night's operation did not yield the results we sought, but my commitment to the State of Israel and my own commitment to complete all missions related to our hostages and missing persons remains firm," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a post on X.
"This has been the case, and this will continue to be the case," he added.
Who was Ron Arad?
Ron Arad, an Israeli Air Force weapon systems officer (WSO), was bombing Palestinian Liberation Army targets in southern Lebanon on October 16, 1986, when his IAF-4 Phantom navigator was hit, forcing him and the other pilot to eject from the aircraft.
While the pilot, Yishai Aviram survived and fled, Ron Arad is believed to have been captured by the Lebanese Shia militant group Amal and later handed over to Hezbollah.
Israel believes Ron Arad died in captivity and is buried somewhere in the Bekaa Valley. The IDF's search operation in the area was aimed to find Arad's remains, but were unable to locate his purported gravesite.