One Year On
"Operation Red South" Unmasked: The Night IDF Rescued Fallen Soldier from Hamas
Exactly one year after the covert "Red South" mission, the IDF discloses how elite forces, guided by precise intelligence and interrogations, recovered the body of fallen soldier and hostage Oron Shaul from a civilian building in Gaza where Hamas held him for nearly a decade.
Approximately one year ago, the Israel Defense Forces and Israel Security Agency executed Operation "Red South," a highly classified and meticulously planned mission that successfully recovered the body of Staff Sergeant Oron Shaul, who had been held by Hamas terrorists since his death in combat. Shaul fell on July 20, 2014, during Operation Protective Edge in the Shejaiya neighborhood of Gaza City, where he was killed in fighting and then abducted by Hamas terrorists. His remains were held in Gaza for almost ten years until the operation brought him back to Israel for proper burial and closure for his family.
The breakthrough began with intelligence gathered during interrogations of captured terrorists, which provided initial leads pointing to a specific civilian property where Shaul had been kept over the years. Further intelligence collection confirmed the location, prompting the decision to launch a targeted operation at the site. A key individual residing in the building was apprehended, and his interrogation by the ISA yielded precise details about Shaul's whereabouts.
Sayeret Matkal, the IDF's elite general reconnaissance unit, carried out the initial phase of the recovery at the property. One day later, building on a chain of intelligence efforts, a second designated activity took place involving Shayetet 13 naval commandos and the 188th Armored Brigade under the command of the 162nd Division, with close direction from the Hostages and Missing Persons Headquarters. During this coordinated effort, Shaul's body was successfully recovered from the same civilian building where Hamas had hidden him for years. The entire sequence was executed without endangering any living hostages still held captive in Gaza City at the time.
The operation stands as a testament to the IDF's long-term commitment to locating and returning every fallen soldier and hostage, even years after their capture or death. Shaul's recovery brought a measure of solace to his family and reinforced Israel's policy of never abandoning its people, no matter how much time passes or how deeply terrorists attempt to conceal their remains. The meticulous planning, reliance on human intelligence, and seamless coordination among elite ground, naval, and armored units highlight the capabilities developed over a decade of effort to counter Hamas's practice of holding bodies as bargaining chips.