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Body Believed to Be of Long-Missing Israeli Soldier Returned from Gaza After 11 Years
Israel has confirmed that it has received a body believed to belong to Lieutenant Hadar Goldin, the Israeli soldier who was killed during the 2014 conflict with Hamas in Gaza and whose remains had been held there for more than a decade.
According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the handover took place on Sunday through the International Red Cross as part of the ceasefire deal that recently paused hostilities between Israel and Hamas. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said forensic tests would begin immediately to confirm the identity of the body.
Lt. Goldin, 23 at the time of his death, was killed on August 1, 2014, just days before Israel withdrew its troops from Gaza. His family has for years led a public campaign for his return, emphasizing Israel’s long-standing promise to never leave any soldier behind.
The family expressed cautious hope following the announcement, saying they were “waiting for Hadar to finally come home.”
If confirmed, Goldin’s return would reduce to four the number of deceased hostages whose remains are still believed to be in Gaza three Israelis killed during the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack and one Thai citizen.
