Israeli Officer Hadar Goldin's Remains Returned by Hamas: A Step Towards Closure
Hamas's military wing announced that they would be handing over the remains of Israeli officer Lieutenant Hadar Goldin, who was killed in the 2014 Gaza war. Israeli forensic experts will verify the identity of the remains once they are received. The body of Goldin, held by Hamas since his death in 2014, was found in a tunnel in Rafah, and this would mark the 24th deceased hostage whose remains Hamas has returned since the current ceasefire began on October 10.
Israeli media reported that Israel permitted Hamas and Red Cross personnel to search for Goldin's remains in an area under Israeli control in Rafah. Hamas reportedly found the remains in a tunnel beneath territory held by Israeli forces. Israel's military chief visited the Goldin family, promising to bring back his remains and those of other deceased hostages still held in Gaza. Another Israeli soldier, Oron Shaul, who was also killed in the 2014 war, had his body recovered earlier this year.
Goldin, part of an Israeli unit tasked with destroying Hamas tunnels, was killed on August 1, 2014, shortly after a humanitarian ceasefire went into effect. His body was seized by militants during an ambush on his team. Efforts to secure the return of both soldiers' remains in previous prisoner swaps had been unsuccessful. Hamas had been holding 20 living hostages and 28 deceased hostages at the beginning of the ceasefire, releasing all living hostages and returning 23 deceased hostages' remains in accordance with the ceasefire terms.
In exchange for the hostages' release and the return of remains, Israel has released nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and returned the bodies of hundreds of Palestinians. Apart from Goldin, there are four hostage bodies, three Israeli and one Thai, that are yet to be returned from Gaza, all taken during the October 2023 attack. Hamas's decision to return Goldin's remains is a significant step towards fulfilling the ceasefire agreement and bringing closure to the families of the deceased hostages.