The IDF announced Wednesday that the burial site of Yaakov Zarihan, who fell during Operation Harel in the 1948 War of Independence, has been located. A 15-year investigation determined he was buried in a mass grave in Kiryat Anavim with seven other soldiers.
The IDF announced Wednesday evening that the burial site of Private Yaakov Zarihan, who fell in the 1948 War of Independence during Operation Harel, has been located after 78 years. The investigation, led by the IDF's Missing Persons Branch, spanned 15 years and concluded that Zarihan was buried in a mass grave at the military cemetery in Kibbutz Kiryat Anavim alongside seven other soldiers who died in the same convoy.
Zarihan, a Moroccan immigrant who arrived in December 1947 aboard the immigrant ship 'HaPorzim', served as a driver in the 'Etzioni' Brigade. He was killed on April 20, 1948, near Sha'ar HaGai along with 13 fellow convoy members, and was originally buried on April 22 at the Kiryat Anavim military cemetery. The special investigation team, established in 2024, conducted document analysis, witness interviews, ground surveys, and archaeological scans to determine his exact burial location.
An IDF delegation informed Zarihan's sisters, including his sister Yvonne Cohen, of the findings on Tuesday evening. The IDF Chief Human Resources Officer and Head of the Casualties Division, Brigadier General Edna Ilia, delivered the update. A state military ceremony will be held in the coming days to add a headstone at the Kiryat Anavim cemetery, closing the circle 78 years after his fall.
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