IDF Locates Grave of 1948 Soldier

An emotional moment of closure after 78 years: The IDF has located the burial site of Private Yaakov Zrihen, a soldier who fell in the 1948 War of Independence. His burial place had been unknown since he fell in the Battle of Sha’ar HaGai during Operation Harel in 1948.

A special investigation team from the Missing Persons Location Branch, established in 2024, found that Zrihen is buried in a mass grave in Kiryat Anavim after analyzing documents, testimonies, and archaeological surveys.

His sister, Yvonne Cohen, reacted emotionally: “For me, this is everything. My children will be able to say Kaddish at his grave for the first time.”