After 78 years, IDF locates burial site of Pvt. Yaakov Zrihan, who went missing in Independence War

After a 15-year investigation, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has identified the remains of Private Yaakov Zrihan, a soldier who went missing during Israel's War of Independence in 1948. The discovery was made in an unmarked mass grave located in Kiryat Enavim.

The IDF's Missing Persons Branch conducted an extensive investigation, which included analyzing documents, interviewing witnesses, and performing archaeological surveys. The grave contained the remains of seven additional IDF soldiers, all of whom were identified as part of the ongoing efforts to locate missing soldiers from the war.

Private Zrihan made Aliyah from Casablanca, Morocco, in 1947 and joined the Palmach on April 12, 1948. The IDF believes he was killed near Shaar Hagai on April 20, 1948, while participating in a convoy aimed at liberating the besieged city of Jerusalem.

Zrihan's family, including his sisters, has been updated on the findings by senior IDF officials. The identification and recovery of his remains bring closure after decades of uncertainty for his family.