The remains of an Israeli soldier who disappeared during a 1982 battle in Lebanon have been recovered and returned to Israel, the military said, bringing to a close a 44-year search.

Sgt. First Class Yehuda Katz, a tank soldier, went missing during the Battle of Sultan Yacoub in Lebanon’s Beqaa Valley, where Israeli forces fought the Syrian army during the First Lebanon War.

The battle left 21 Israeli servicemen dead and more than 30 wounded.

Katz disappeared alongside two other tank soldiers, Sgt. First Class Zachary Baumel and Sgt. First Class Zvi Feldman.

Baumel’s remains were recovered with Russian assistance and brought back to Israel in 2019. Feldman’s remains were located by operatives of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency in May 2025.

In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces said Katz’s remains were recovered in an operation led by the Military Intelligence Directorate and carried out in coordination with the Mossad.

The remains were brought to Israel and subjected to identification procedures, which confirmed that they belonged to Katz.