GAZA — An indictment was filed against Ibrahim Hilo for holding the body of St.-Sgt. Oron Shaul in Gaza for nearly ten years. The indictment was submitted by the Southern District Attorney's Office to the Beersheba District Court.
Hilo, a member of Hamas's Shati Battalion, was captured during a secret operation. A joint investigation by Lahav 433, the Shin Bet, and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) revealed his involvement in the kidnapping and prolonged holding of Shaul’s remains.
Information obtained from Hilo during interrogation proved critical to locating and retrieving Shaul’s body. The remains were recovered in January 2025 during a covert operation carried out by Shayetet 13 and other special forces in northern Gaza. The mission was announced just before the Israel-Hamas ceasefire took effect.
St.-Sgt. Oron Shaul, 20, had entered the Shejaia neighborhood near Gaza City on July 20, 2014, in an armored personnel carrier with six fellow soldiers. The vehicle was struck by a Kornet anti-tank missile fired by Hamas, killing all inside. His body was not recovered at the time.
Following the successful retrieval, Shaul’s funeral was held on January 20, 2025, at the cemetery in Poria Illit. His mother, Zehava Shaul, spoke at a press conference shortly after the announcement of the recovery. "I am in shock. 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 confirmed the operation in a public statement. "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." Hilo now faces charges of serious security offenses related to the detention of Shaul’s remains over the decade-long period.