JERUSALEM – Israel confirmed on Sunday that the remains handed over by Hamas belonged to Lieutenant Hadar Goldin, an Israeli officer killed in the 2014 Gaza war. Goldin’s return marks the 24th deceased hostage repatriated under the ceasefire that began on October 10, 2023.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the return as a moment of national relief. “Today, we are united in having finally brought him back to his parents and his family to be laid to rest in Israel,” he said. Goldin, 23 at the time of his death, was killed in an ambush in Rafah while his unit was tasked with locating and destroying Hamas tunnels. His body had been held in Gaza since the attack, with previous recovery efforts failing.
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Hamas’s armed wing, the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, located the remains in a tunnel in Rafah, allowing Israeli and Red Cross personnel to verify them. Goldin’s family had previously held a funeral for parts of his body in Kfar Saba, near Tel Aviv.
The repatriation carries symbolic significance in Israel, reflecting the military’s commitment to leaving no soldier behind. Simcha Goldin, the officer’s father, stressed that ultimate victory in Gaza would require all hostages to be returned.
Under the ceasefire, Hamas has released all living hostages and returned the remains of 24 deceased individuals, while Israel released nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and the bodies of hundreds killed in Gaza. Four hostages’ remains remain in Gaza, including three Israelis and one Thai citizen.
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Despite the returns, displaced Gazans remain concerned about reconstruction, the disarmament of Hamas, and the restoration of normal life in the Strip. The ongoing conflict and its aftermath have left deep scars, with over 69,000 Palestinians and 1,200 Israelis killed since the 2023 outbreak of hostilities.