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IDF Soldier Hadar Goldin’s Remains Returned After 11 Years

IDF Soldier Hadar Goldin’s Remains Returned After 11 Years

IDF: “The coffin of the deceased hostage, escorted by IDF troops, crossed the border into the State of Israel a short while ago.” 
Posted by Sunday, November 9, 2025 at 12:00pm

Hamas had apparently returned the remains of Hadar Goldin, an Israeli soldier kidnapped and murdered by the terrorist group eleven years ago, the local media reports say. “The Red Cross began preparing for the handover of the body of Hadar Goldin on Saturday, an IDF soldier slain in 2014 war, after Hamas reportedly claimed to have located the remains,” Israeli TV channel i24NEWS reported Sunday afternoon.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed receiving a hostage’s body, whose identity is yet to be ascertained by a forensic test. “The coffin of the deceased hostage, escorted by IDF troops, crossed the border into the State of Israel a short while ago and is on its way to the National Institute for Forensic Medicine, where identification procedures will be carried out,” the Israel military said in a statement Sunday afternoon. “IDF representatives are accompanying the families.”

Later in the evening, the IDF announced that the remains belonged to Hadar after forensic investigation. “Military representatives have notified the family of Lt. Hadar Goldin that his body was returned to Israel by Hamas today, more than 11 years after he was killed and abducted by the terror group, after forensic experts completed their identification,” The Times of Israel reported. “This brings to an end to his family’s long struggle to recover Goldin’s remains and bring him home for burial.”

Hadar’s family reportedly received the rifle that he carried in the battle ahead of the body’s return.

Earlier today, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged the tremendous suffering endured by Hadar’s family and declared that his body will finally be receiving a burial befitting a valiant soldier who “fell heroically in battle” eleven years ago. “We made great efforts to bring him back, alongside the immense suffering of his family, which will now be able to lay him to rest in Israel,” he said.

Israel’s Ynetnews reports:

The Red Cross on Sunday afternoon handed over to the IDF the body of a slain hostage, believed to be fallen IDF officer Lt. Hadar Goldin, nearly 11 and a half years after he was killed and captured by Hamas during the 2014 Gaza war.

The move came just hours after Hamas issued an official statement announcing it would release Goldin’s body. Despite the announcement, Israeli officials expressed concern that the terror group could still be using the issue as a manipulation tactic.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at the start of Sunday’s Cabinet meeting that Israel expected to receive Goldin’s body later in the day. “This will begin immediately with the verification of his identity,” he said. “Lt. Hadar Goldin fell heroically in battle during Operation Protective Edge 11 years ago. His body was taken by Hamas, which refused to return him throughout this time. We made great efforts to bring him back, alongside the immense suffering of his family, which will now be able to lay him to rest in Israel.”

Netanyahu added that bringing fallen soldiers home was a national duty. “From the War of Independence to today, we have made it our mission to bring back our soldiers who fell in battle,” he said. “Sometimes it takes many years — over 40 years in the case of Sultan Yacoub. We have brought back two of the soldiers who fell there, and one still remains. It is our obligation to our soldiers and to our security personnel.”

Israeli officials had been preparing since Saturday for the possible return of a slain hostage after Hamas announced it had “located” Goldin’s body. A senior Israeli source said the government “views with utmost severity the violation caused by the delay in returning Goldin’s body, even though Hamas claims he is in its possession,” adding that “Israel demands his immediate return.”

On August 1, 2014, two hours after Israel declared a ceasefire, ending the Operation Protective Edge in Gaza, Hamas terrorists emerged from a terror tunnel near Rafah, southern Gaza. They ambushed a group of IDF soldiers, including 23-year-old Hadar, and tried to take them hostage. The terrorists managed to kill two of the soldiers and dragged Hadar (or his body) into the tunnel. (Read our coverage of Hadar’s abduction that time).

The IDF conducted a massive manhunt in southern Gaza, with fellow soldiers bravely entering terror tunnels in search of Hadar. Days later, he was declared dead.

Under the plan brokered by President Donald Trump, Hamas is obliged to return all hostage bodies within 72 hours of the ceasefire coming into effect. With the ceasefire today entering its second month, the terrorist group is still holding the bodies of four hostages.

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Comments

ztakddot | November 9, 2025 at 3:38 pm

I’d call them animals but I don’t want to insult animals. They are definitely not human with human values.

GWB | November 10, 2025 at 9:04 am

Yeah, 11 years is way too long to mean much.
Bomb them some more.

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