Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Monday, Jul 21, 2025

Ron Arad: Mossad agents mount mission for missing airman

Ron Arad: Mossad agents mount mission for missing airman

Israel's Mossad spy agency has carried out a "courageous" operation in the hope of finding out what happened to missing airman Ron Arad, its PM says.
Naftali Bennett told parliament he could share no more details about the mission to solve one of the country's most enduring mysteries.

There were conflicting reports as to whether it was considered a success.

Lt Col Arad has been missing since his plane went down over Lebanon during a 1986 bombing raid and is presumed dead.

The plane's pilot was rescued by Israeli forces after they bailed out. But Lt Col Arad, who was the navigator, was captured by the Lebanese Shia Muslim militia Amal.

A year later, Amal offered to swap him for 200 Lebanese and 450 Palestinian prisoners, as well as $3m (£2.2m). Negotiations reportedly collapsed after Israel refused to exchange Palestinian prisoners for the airman.

A 2016 report by the Mossad and Israeli military intelligence concluded that Lt Col Arad was likely to have died in captivity in 1988.

In a speech at the opening of the Knesset's winter session on Monday, Mr Bennett said female and male Mossad agents had embarked last month on a "complex, wide-ranging and bold operation" to gather new information on Lt Col Arad's fate and location.

"This is all that can be shared at this time," he added.

Later, Mossad chief Barnea was quoted by Channel 12 as having told an internal Mossad meeting: "It was a courageous, daring, complex operation, but it was a failure. We failed."

The prime minister's office responded to the report by issuing a statement that insisted the mission was not a failure but "a successful one that was carried out while meeting exceptional operational goals".

It also defended Mr Bennett's decision to disclose the information to the public, saying it expressed "the effort and immense commitment invested in bringing back our boys".

The Haaretz newspaper also cited sources in the prime minister's office as saying the speech had been co-ordinated with the Mossad and that Mr Barnea had "issued a message to the members of the organisation in which he said that the operation was successful and important".

Israel Hayom meanwhile quoted a senior security official as saying the mission was "one of the most important and successful" in Israel's history and that "quality information was obtained".

Lt Col Arad's family said they continued to "hope that maybe one day we will know what was Ron's fate".
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
Iran's Parliament Votes to Suspend Cooperation with Nuclear Watchdog
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
Explosions Rock Doha as Iranian Missiles Target Qatar
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Oman Set to Introduce Personal Income Tax, First in Gulf
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
×