A day after the Israel Defense Forces announced it had recovered remains of Zachary Baumel, who went missing in a 1982 battle in Lebanon, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin for making it possible.
Speaking at the Kremlin alongside Putin, Netanyahu said Israel "thanks you for taking care of this matter by finding the remains, what you did will not be forgotten by our people."
Netanyahu said that Baumel's family members were overwhelmed with emotion after they were informed his remains were found.
"I told them that Russian troops risked their lives to search for his remains and they were left speechless," Netanyahu said.
Putin responded that "this was not easy for our soldiers."
Baumel, who immigrated to Israel with his parents from New York in 1970, was 21 when he fought in Israel's Operation Peace for the Galilee in Lebanon and was declared missing in action along with two other soldiers in the Battle of Sultan Yacoub, in which Israel suffered heavy casualties.
Baumel's remains were flown to Israel by El Al Israel Airlines several days ago.
The Israel Defense Forces declined to say how or where the body of Baumel, a tank crewman and sergeant, was recovered in what was described as an intelligence operation.
