The State Attorney's Office filed an indictment today (Thursday) with the Beersheba District Court against terrorist Ibrahim Hilo, 46, a resident of the Gaza Strip, who held the body of Sergeant Oron Shaul for Hamas for more than 10 years, knowing that the body was intended to be used as a 'bargaining card' against Israel.
The indictment filed by Attorney Assaf Bar Yosef of the Southern District Attorney's Office indicates that during 2001, his son was recruited for Hamas' religious studies and about two years later he was recruited into the military wing - the Izz ad-Din al-Qassem Brigades.
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Until 2024, Hilo worked, intermittently, within the organization in various roles.
In July 2014, during Operation Protective Edge, a Golani force entered operational activity in the Shajaiya neighborhood in Gaza. One of the armored personnel carriers stalled due to a technical malfunction, and when the soldiers transferred to another armored personnel carrier, a missile was fired at them, leading to the deaths of Oron and 6 other soldiers of the 14th Battalion, and the serious injury of two other soldiers.
After the missile hit the APC, terrorists arrived and kidnapped the body of Shaul the 14th.
That same day, a Hamas terrorist called Hilo and asked to meet. During the meeting, he told him that he had a deposit that he wanted him to keep for a short period of time - a body.
Hilo realized that it was the body of an IDF soldier and agreed to the request.
Hilo stored the body of Oron Shaul in a large meat refrigerator located in his business, and was instructed to reduce his military activity so as not to attract unnecessary attention.
The body was later moved to a replacement refrigerator with a lock provided.
His army held the body of Shaul the 14th until October 2023, when he left his home following the 'Iron Swords' War.
On January 18, 2025, as part of an operation by security forces, the body of Oron Shaul the Elder was recovered from his home and brought to the State of Israel.
In his request for detention until the end of the proceedings, Attorney Bar Yosef noted that Hilo, a military operative in the Hamas terrorist organization, secretly held the body for Hamas for a period of more than 10 years, knowing that it was the body of Shaul the Elder - an IDF soldier who was killed and kidnapped by Hamas, and knowing that it was intended to be used as a 'bargaining card' in Hamas' negotiations with the State of Israel, for the purpose of releasing terrorists held in Israel, with the intention of assisting the enemy in its war against the State of Israel.
He is charged with the offenses of aiding the enemy in war, membership in a terrorist organization, and using weapons for terrorist purposes.
The case was investigated by the Shin Bet, Yachabal Lahav 433, the Israel Police, and the IDF.
