Zehava Shaul, the mother of Staff Sgt. Oron Shaul, who was killed and captured by Hamas in 2014 and whose body was held captive by the terror group for more than a decade, died Friday at the age of 71, her family said.

The family statement said she had died after a months-long struggle with a serious illness.

“Zehava was a woman of faith, determination and love for humanity. For more than a decade, she carried on her shoulders, with inspiring strength, the uncompromising struggle to return her son, Staff Sgt. Oron Shaul, for burial in Israel,” the family said.  “Her dedication, strength and endless love touched many hearts and became a symbol of perseverance, hope and great love.”

President Isaac Herzog paid tribute to her, calling her “a brave, determined and inspiring mother, who dedicated more than a decade to an uncompromising struggle to return her son” for burial in Israel.

“Zehava’s image will be etched in the heart of the nation as a mother who never gave up on her son for a moment, and as a symbol of perseverance and hope even in the most difficult moments. May her memory be blessed,” Herzog wrote.

Her husband Herzl Shaul died in 2016 and did not live to see the return of his son’s remains.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also hailed Shaul, saying that “Zehava did not give up for a second; even after her husband Herzl passed away, she carried the pain with exceptional emotional strength and acted out of boundless maternal love and with an awe-inspiring nobility of soul.”

On July 20, 2014, during the 2014 Gaza war — known in Israel as Operation Protective Edge — troops of the Golani Brigade’s 13th Battalion entered Gaza City’s Shejaiya neighborhood in an M-113 armored personnel carrier. The APC got stuck in one of the neighborhood’s narrow streets, and during attempts to extract it, the carrier came under attack by Hamas operatives launching anti-tank missiles.

Seven soldiers were killed in the incident, including Shaul, whose body was dragged away from the scene by........

© The Times of Israel