Israeli MIAs

There are at present eight Israeli soldiers kidnapped or missing in action:

On June 25, 2006 in the course of an infiltration and attack by terrorists in the area of Kibbutz Kerem Shalom, near the Gaza Strip, an IDF officer and a soldier were killed, Cpl. Gilad Shalit, 20, of Hila was abducted, and four others were wounded. Since then, Gilad has been held by the Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
- Two soldiers killed, one missing in Kerem Shalom terror attack (25 Jun 2006)
-  Kerem Shalom attack and kidnapping of Cpl. Gilad Shalit

On July 12, 2006, Hizbullah terrorists infiltrated into Israeli territory and attacked two IDF armored jeeps patrolling the border with Lebanon, killing three soldiers and kidnapping two: Eldad Regev, 26, of Kiryat Motzkin and Ehud (Udi) Goldwasser, 31, of Nahariya.
- IDF Spokesman: Hizbullah attack on northern border (July 12)
- Hizbullah attacks northern Israel and Israel's response

Sultan Yakoub: Staff Sgt. Zecharya Baumel, Staff Sgt. Zvi Feldman and Staff Sgt. Yehuda Katz, missing since 11 June 1982, in a battle at Sultan Yakoub, in Lebanon.

Major Ron Arad, who was captured on 16 October 1986, after his aircraft was shot down near Sidon, Lebanon. Arad was initially held by Amal (a Shi'ite terrorist organization); however his subsequent fate is still unknown.

Guy Hever, last seen at his army base on the southern Golan Heights on August 17, 1997.

Cpl. Gilad Shalit was abducted by terrorists on 25 June 2006 in the course of an infiltration and attack by terrorists in the area of Kibbutz Kerem Shalom.

Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser: On July 12, 2006, Hizbullah terrorists infiltrated into Israeli territory and attacked two IDF armored jeeps patrolling the border with Lebanon, killing three soldiers and kidnapping two: Eldad Regev, 26, of Kiryat Motzkin and Ehud Goldwasser, 31, of Nahariya.

The Battle of Sultan Yakoub

On June 11, 1982, five Israeli soldiers went missing in a battle with Syrian and Palestinian forces near the Lebanese village of Sultan Yaqub. Several years later, two of the captured soldiers were returned to Israel in prisoner exchanges with Syria and Achmed Jibril's PFLP-GC (Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command). Three soldiers - Zachary Baumel (born Nov 17, 1960), Yehuda Katz (born Dec 29, 1956), and Zvi Feldman (born July 18, 1959) - are still missing.

Since the battle, there have been many conflicting reports regarding the whereabouts and condition of the missing men. Over the years, Palestinian and Syrian officials have made many references to information in their possession regarding the MIAs, but have been unwilling to cooperate in efforts to return the missing soldiers to their families. So, despite Israel's best efforts, Yehuda Katz and Tzvi Feldman, the children of Holocaust survivors, and Zachary Baumel, remain unaccounted for despite ongoing reports (including the 1988 Amnesty International Report and the 1993 Amnesty International December Update) indicating that some of the missing soldiers are still alive and are being held under Syrian control.

Ron Arad

On October 16, 1986, Israeli Air Force navigator Ron Arad was taken captive after his F-4 Phantom warplane went down over Lebanon. Both Arad and the pilot parachuted safely to the ground. The pilot was flown to safety under fire, holding on to the bottom of an Israeli helicopter in a rescue operation. Ron was taken captive by Amal, a Lebanese Shi'ite militia group lead by Nabih Berri.

In 1987, Arad's family received several letters and a photo of Arad confirming that he was alive and in Amal's hands. Ron Arad was personally held by the then head of security of Amal, Mustafa Dirani. In early 1988, Dirani severed his ties with Amal due to ideological differences and formed a new group, called the "Resistance of the Believers." Arad was held captive by Dirani's group until the beginning of 1989, when he was apparently handed over to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards in exchange for a large sum of money. Sources in Israel believe that Captain Ron Arad is still being held by this group.

Ron Arad was born in Israel on May 5, 1958. Ron and his wife Tami have a daughter, Yuval. Before his capture, Ron was a student of chemical engineering at the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, entering his second year of studies.