After 7-year search, the remains of missing Israeli soldier found

JERUSALEM – Israeli authorities say the remains of a missing soldier have been found in a forest in northern Israel, ending a seven-year search.

Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said the body of Majdi Halabi, a Druse Arab soldier who disappeared in 2005, were found two weeks ago by a park ranger in the Carmel forest near the Israeli city of Haifa. Israeli police conducted a forensic investigation Thursday and confirmed that the remains match the soldier's DNA.

Halabi, who lived in the area, disappeared after hitchhiking.

Israeli police are investigating the circumstances of his death.

For years, a nonprofit organization offered $10 million reward for anyone with information on Halabi's disappearance. The group later folded.