Nearly 18 months after the body of IDF Staff Sgt. Oron Shaul was recovered from Gaza and returned to Israel for burial, prosecutors filed a declaration against Hamas terrorist Ibrahim Hilo, who allegedly concealed Shaul’s body for nearly 10 years following the soldier’s death during Operation Protective Edge in 2014.

According to newly released information, the breakthrough came after Israeli security forces arrested Hilo, a member of the terror group’s Shati Battalion. Hilo had previously served as a platoon commander in Hamas and, in recent years, reportedly operated under the guise of a civilian merchant.

During a joint investigation conducted by the Shin Bet, the IDF Military Intelligence Directorate, and Israel Police, Hilo was identified as a key figure connected to the case of Shaul’s remains.

Israeli forces later carried out a covert operation to capture him. During intensive interrogations by Shin Bet and police investigators, Hilo eventually admitted that he had personally hidden Shaul’s body and disclosed the exact location where it had been concealed.

Investigators said the body had been buried inside a shop located within a civilian building in Gaza City, which Hamas allegedly used as cover.

Armed with the intelligence provided during the interrogation, Israeli security forces quickly launched a complex recovery mission. Personnel from the Shin Bet, Military Intelligence, and special operations units raided the site under significant time pressure.

The operation succeeded just minutes before an official ceasefire took effect, allowing troops to recover Shaul’s body and bring him home to Israel.

On Thursday, the Southern District Prosecutor’s Office is expected to file a formal indictment against Hilo in the Beersheba District Court, charging him with numerous serious security-related offenses.