Recently, the Israeli army was searching in Lebanon for the dead body or remains of its pilot, who had gone missing there 40 years ago. Similarly, Israel had strictly told Hamas that it also wanted the dead body of every citizen held hostage, even if he was buried somewhere. On October 7, 2023, Hamas took about 251 Israelis hostage, many of whom were dead. By March 2026, Israel had recovered the bodies of all the dead hostages. The last deadbody was that of Master Sergeant Ran Gwili.
It was recovered from a cemetery in Gaza in January 2026. After all, why does Israel search and find even the dead body of its Jewish citizens at any cost? Even if he has to spend years searching for it. In the 2025 ceasefire, Hamas returned the bodies of 20 living and 27-28 dead hostages, while some were recovered by the Israeli army itself. Overall, now all the bodies are with Israel.
Now let’s talk about the Israeli pilot who flew towards Lebanon for an Air Force operation in 1986. Then could not return from there. His plane fell there. Israel is still searching for him.
Who is that pilot?
The name of that pilot is Ron Arad. He was an Israeli Air Force pilot whose fighter jet crashed into Lebanon in 1986. Then he was taken hostage by Amal Militia. Later he was handed over to Hezbollah. There was no news of his survival after the end of the 1980s. Israel continued to search for him. In the 2004 investigation, it was believed that he had died in the mid-90s, they are still searching for his dead body remains in Lebanon.
Just did a dangerous operation for this
Only for this purpose, at the beginning of this month, Israel carried out a dangerous Special Forces operation in Eastern Lebanon, where they tried to find the remains of his body by digging graves in the cemetery. Couldn’t find it. 41 Lebanese died and dozens were injured in the operation at this place. Israel says it will continue its efforts. Because it is his commitment to bring the missing soldier home.
It is necessary to cremate every dead Jew
By the way, let us tell you that in Israeli Jewish values it is necessary that the dead body or its remains be searched even after death under all circumstances. Then it is necessary that they be cremated. Because Israeli Jews consider this to be most important, they believe that without this the soul does not find peace. Israel has previously brought back the remains and bones of its soldiers decades later.
this national duty
For Israel, the return of every hostage, dead or alive, is a national duty that restores the collective conscience. Proper identification, proper burial and handing over of dead bodies to families holds religious and cultural significance.
Tradition of burying dead body within 24 hours
In Judaism, complete burial of the dead body is given great importance and is a major part of their Jewish law Halakha. According to Jewish tradition, the body should be buried as soon as possible. Usually within 24 hours, because the divine soul resides in the body and not being buried causes pain to the soul. It is considered necessary to bury the body completely including all the organs, because it is sacred.
Even if any part of the body gets separated or is found after a long time, an attempt is made to bury it, because this gives peace to the soul and atonement through decomposition. Burial in a cemetery is necessary so that the body can return to the earth.
Jews do not burn dead bodies under any circumstances. Burning the body is prohibited in traditional Judaism, because it is believed that the body is God’s trust.
what rituals after death
The body is considered “sacred” in Jewish tradition, so it is treated with great respect after death. It is usually buried within 24 hours. Before that the dead body is washed with hot water and prayers are recited. Rich or poor, everyone is wrapped in the same simple white cotton or linen shroud.
The coffin is completely made of clay
If a coffin is used, it should be entirely made of clay and should not, under any circumstances, be made of wood. There should not be any metal nails in it, so that both the body and the coffin can mix naturally in the soil.
After the burial the family celebrates ‘Shiva’, which is a seven-day intense mourning period. During this time, family members stay at home and sit on low chairs. And mirrors are covered so that the focus is on inner contemplation rather than outer beauty. Judaism focuses primarily on “this life” rather than what happens after death. However, the concept of afterlife is present in his texts.
