76 years later: Remains of fallen IDF soldier from War of Independence identified in mass grave

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on Thursday that the remains of fallen soldier, Private Arthur Gessner, who died a year after the establishment of the State of Israel and whose burial place had been unknown until now, have been identified.

Following an investigation by the IDF's Missing Persons Unit, it was determined that Gessner was buried in a mass grave in the central city of Rehovot alongside two of his platoon comrades, Gabriel Magnaji and Kalman Chepnik.

Gessner was killed in a battle during an IDF operation in the eastern Lachish region in April 1949. On April 20 of that year, during a pre-planned operation by the Negev Brigade in the Lachish-Ammatzia hills sector, a platoon from Battalion 8 encountered a group of infiltrators. "The encounter developed into a prolonged and fierce battle, in which 12 soldiers fell, including three who were declared missing: Gessner, Magnaji, and Chepnik."

According to intelligence information and details obtained through diplomatic efforts, it was revealed that the bodies of the three soldiers were taken by local Arabs to a cave in the village of Idna, which was then under Jordanian control.

On May 6, 1949, an IDF force launched a special mission to retrieve the bodies from the village. A few months later, it was determined that two of the fallen were Privates Gabriel Magnaji and Kalman Chepnik, while Arthur Gessner remained classified as a fallen soldier whose burial place was unknown.

In 2020, the investigation into Gessner's disappearance was reopened, and a special investigative team was formed to locate his burial site.

"The investigation included document analysis, witness interviews, soil analysis, and archaeological surveys," the IDF reported. "All these efforts led to the conclusion that the three missing soldiers were buried together in a mass grave on May 6, 1949, at the cemetery in Rehovot."

76 years later, Gessner’s family members, including his niece, received the news of Arthur’s identification. "Soon, the circle will be closed after 76 years, and a ceremony will be held to add a headstone bearing Arthur Gessner’s name to the mass grave in Rehovot, where Gabriel Magnaji and Kalman Chepnik are buried."

Written by KAN 11 News correspondents Itay Blumenthal and Carmela Menashe.