The Israel Police’s Lahav 433, the Shin Bet and the IDF have indicted Ibrahim Hilo for allegedly holding St.-Sgt. Oron Shaul’s remains for nearly ten years. Hilo, said to have served in Hamas’s Shati Battalion, was captured in a covert January 2025 operation; interrogation results led to the recovery of the body. The Southern District Attorney’s Office filed the indictment in the Beersheba District Court shortly after the retrieval, which was announced just before a ceasefire.
Suspect Indicted After Decade-Long Holding Of Soldier Oron Shaul’s Remains — Covert 2025 Operation Led To Recovery
St.-Sgt. Oron Shaul. (photo credit: SUPPLIED)
An indictment was filed against Ibrahim Hilo after a joint investigation by Israel Police’s Lahav 433, the Shin Bet and the IDF concluded he was involved in abducting and holding the remains of St.-Sgt. Oron Shaul for nearly a decade.
According to authorities, Hilo — who is alleged to have served in Hamas’s Shati Battalion — was captured in a covert operation in January 2025. Intelligence obtained during his interrogation was instrumental in locating Shaul’s remains and facilitating their return to Israel.
The Southern District Attorney’s Office submitted the indictment to the Beersheba District Court, charging Hilo with serious security offenses related to the long-term retention of a fallen soldier’s remains. Prosecutors say the case documents detail his role in the abduction and subsequent custody of the body.
The funeral of late Israeli soldier Oron Shaul at the cemetery in Poria Illit on January 20, 2025. (credit: AYAL MARGOLIN/FLASH90)
Background
On July 20, 2014, then-20-year-old Oron Shaul entered the Shejaia neighborhood near Gaza City in an armored personnel carrier (APC) with six other soldiers. The APC was struck by a Kornet anti-tank missile fired by Hamas, killing everyone inside. Investigators say Shaul’s remains were taken and kept in Gaza following the attack.
Covert Recovery
The recovery followed a secret operation carried out in January 2025 from a location in northern Gaza that involved Shayetet 13 alongside other special forces and security services. The mission was announced shortly before an Israel–Hamas ceasefire went into effect.
“I am in shock,” said Zehava Shaul, Oron’s mother, at a press conference after the remains were recovered. “I’ve been waiting for Oron for 10 and a half years. And believe me, I didn’t believe I would see this moment.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, after the operation was cleared for publication, said: “In a special operation conducted by the Shin Bet and the IDF just before the ceasefire took effect, we successfully brought back to Israel the body of Golani Brigade soldier Oron Shaul, of blessed memory.”
The investigation and subsequent legal action mark a significant development in a case that has endured for more than a decade. Yonah Jeremy Bob contributed to this report.
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