Body of Israeli Soldier Held in Gaza Since 2014 returned to Israel
GAZA – The Israeli military confirmed Saturday the recovery of the remains of Lt. Hadar Goldin, an Israeli soldier killed in Gaza during the 2014 conflict, after they were handed over from Hamas control. the return fulfills a long-standing demand from Israel and the Goldin family, who have campaigned for years for his repatriation.
Lt. Goldin was the sole Israeli soldier whose remains were held by Hamas prior to the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. He was killed in combat on August 1, 2014, near Rafah in southern Gaza, during a firefight with Hamas fighters who afterward dragged his body into an underground tunnel. His recovery comes amid ongoing ceasefire negotiations and escalating tensions in the region.
the Israeli military stated Lt. Goldin,from Kfar Saba,was part of a group patrolling an agricultural area when they were ambushed. Following his death, Israeli forces launched extensive operations in Rafah, resulting in numerous Palestinian civilian casualties, to prevent Hamas from fully taking his body.
The return of Lt. Goldin’s remains occurred alongside the identification of another body recovered from Gaza as that of Israeli-Argentinian Lior rudaeff. These developments took place as Israeli military actions in Gaza continue, resulting in at least 241 Palestinian deaths since the start of the current ceasefire, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, whose figures are considered reliable by the UN.
The recovery follows the October 7th attack by Hamas-led gunmen on southern Israel, which killed approximately 1,200 people and led to the abduction of 251 hostages. Since then, Israeli military operations in Gaza have resulted in at least 69,169 Palestinian deaths, according to the health ministry.
