Hamas’s military arm announced on Sunday that it would return the body of IDF officer Lt. Hadar Goldin, ending an agonizing, years-long wait for his family, who have fought tirelessly to bring him home for burial. Goldin was killed during the 2014 Gaza conflict, and his body was seized by Hamas amid the fierce fighting in Rafah.
“The (Izz a-Din) Al-Qassam Brigades will deliver the body of officer Hadar Goldin, which was found yesterday in a tunnel in the city of Rafah, at 2 pm Gaza time,” the group declared on its Telegram channel.
Goldin’s death occurred during Operation Protective Edge, and his remains have been held for 4,118 days. He is the only hostage from before the October 7, 2023 Hamas invasion — when 1,200 Israelis were massacred and 251 others taken captive — who has remained in Gaza since.
Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu informed his Cabinet that Israel expects to receive Goldin’s remains. Israel will first conduct comprehensive forensic examinations to confirm the identity of the body before making an official announcement.
If verification confirms the IDF’s expectations, Goldin will become the 24th fallen hostage whose remains have been returned by Hamas since the start of the October 10 ceasefire that paused the two-year war.
Four more bodies are still being held in Gaza: Meny Godard, Master Sgt. Ran Gvili, Dror Or, and Thai national Sudthisak Rinthalak.
The return of Goldin’s remains reportedly comes amid complex negotiations over a cluster of Hamas fighters trapped in a Rafah tunnel located within an area controlled by Israeli forces. According to reports, Hamas has sought to connect the recovery of Goldin’s body to an arrangement ensuring safe passage for these operatives.
Hamas issued a defiant statement warning that it would not capitulate: “The occupation bears full responsibility for the clash with our fighters in Rafah,” the group said, vowing that surrender was not an option.
It further emphasized, “In the lexicon of the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades there is no place for the principle of surrender or handing themselves over to the enemy. The mediators must find a solution that will ensure the continuation of the ceasefire.”
Reports suggest that Washington has been pushing Jerusalem to approve safe passage for the trapped terrorists as part of a U.S.-backed plan for Goldin’s return. Citing Channel 12, the proposal calls for the militants to hand over their weapons and be granted a pardon by Israel before relocating to Hamas-controlled areas or into exile. The tunnel sheltering them would then be destroyed.
Netanyahu, however, has made clear he will not strike any such deal. A statement issued Monday from an “Israeli official,” widely understood to represent the Prime Minister’s Office, reiterated that Netanyahu “is not allowing safe passage for 200 Hamas terrorists.”
Following Hamas’s announcement yesterday that it had recovered Goldin’s body, Israeli diplomats insisted the remains must be returned immediately under the terms of the ceasefire. “Israel demands his return immediately,” one diplomatic source stressed, condemning the group’s delay as a serious breach of the agreement.
On Saturday night, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir personally visited the home of Goldin’s parents, Leah and Simcha, who said they were waiting for official word confirming their son’s return to Israel.
Israeli outlets also reported that, in the hours leading up to the announcement, Israel permitted Hamas and Red Cross teams to search a tunnel under Israeli control in Rafah in order to locate the missing officer’s remains.
{Matzav.com}
