Zehava Shaul, who led a decade-long campaign to recover the body of her son Oron from Hamas captivity, died Friday at 71, Israeli media report. Her son's body was finally recovered and laid to rest in Israel in 2025. Her funeral is scheduled for Sunday at 12:00 at Poria Illit cemetery, beside her husband and son.
Zehava Shaul, 71, passed away on Friday morning, Israeli media reported. She became a symbol of determination after her son, Staff Sergeant Oron Shaul, was killed during Operation Protective Edge in Gaza in 2014 and his body was taken by Hamas. For over a decade, she campaigned for his return, a struggle that ended when his body was recovered in 2025 and laid to rest in Israel. The Emek HaYarden Regional Council mourned her as "a dear and noble woman" who fought for over ten years to bring her son to an Israeli grave. The funeral will take place on Sunday at 12:00 at the Poria Illit cemetery, where she will be buried next to her husband, Hertzel, and her son, Oron. President Isaac Herzog paid tribute, calling her "a brave mother who bore the pain with courage."
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