According to testimonies, the engagement was marked by confusion and lack of coordination between units, which led in part to friendly fire incidents among IDF forces. The Israeli force found itself at a topographical disadvantage, and the battle continued for approximately eight hours until the battalion withdrew under cover of heavy artillery fire.
By the battle's end, eight Israeli tanks remained in Syrian hands. The fate of three of the missing soldiers was eventually determined: Zohar Lifshitz was killed during the battle and buried in Syria; his body was returned to Israel after the war ended. Aryeh Lieberman fell into Syrian captivity and was released two years later. Hezi Shai was captured by Ahmed Jibril's terror organization and freed three years later as part of the Jibril prisoner exchange.
The circumstances and conduct of the battle became the subject of scholarly and public controversy, likely due to its severe outcome, the uncertainty surrounding the missing soldiers' fate, and criticism directed at the battle's commanders, some of whom later became prominent political figures.
Research conducted years afterward revealed that the IDF possessed aerial photography showing the Syrian forces' positions, but this intelligence never reached the combat units in the field. Following the Oslo Accords, Yasser Arafat transferred half of Baumel's identification tag to Israel.
The identification of Sgt. Yehuda Katz's remains concludes a painful chapter in Israeli military history and provides his family with closure after decades of waiting and hope.
