Israel has recovered the remains of Lieutenant Hadar Goldin, an Israeli soldier killed during the 2014 Gaza conflict, after more than a decade of uncertainty. The body was handed over by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) after Hamas transferred it to their custody, ending a painful chapter for Goldin’s family.
Remains Identified After 10 Years
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed that the remains were formally identified by Israeli forensic experts. Goldin, aged 23 at the time of his death, was killed on August 1, 2014, during “Operation Protective Edge” — a major Israeli ground offensive in Gaza.
Speaking at a cabinet meeting, Netanyahu said the soldier’s long detention had caused “great agony for his family, who can now give him a Jewish burial.” He praised Goldin’s “heroic combat” and vowed to continue efforts to recover other missing Israelis.
According to Hamas’s military wing, the Qassam Brigades, Goldin’s body was found in a tunnel beneath the Yebna refugee camp in Rafah, southern Gaza.
Other Captives Still in Gaza
Goldin’s return follows the earlier repatriation of another soldier, Oron Shaul, also killed in the 2014 war. Four deceased Israeli captives are still believed to be in Gaza and are expected to be returned under the current ceasefire arrangement.
Hamas has so far released 20 living captives and 24 bodies as part of the truce deal. In exchange, Israel has released 15 Palestinian bodies for every Israeli returned. According to Ahmed Dheir, head of forensic medicine at Gaza’s Nasser Medical Complex, around 300 Palestinian bodies have been returned to date, with 89 successfully identified.
Ongoing Violence Despite Ceasefire
Although a truce has been in effect since October 10, Israeli operations in Gaza continue. The Palestinian Health Ministry reported that 241 Palestinians have been killed and 619 injured since the ceasefire began. On Sunday, three people were killed in separate Israeli attacks across Gaza, while 528 bodies have been recovered from rubble.
In the occupied West Bank, Israeli forces killed one man in the Far’a refugee camp near Tubas, and settlers reportedly attacked Palestinian farmers in several areas.
According to official figures, Israel’s war on Gaza — launched after Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attacks that killed 1,139 people and saw 251 taken captive — has now killed at least 68,875 Palestinians and injured over 170,000 others.
