The Hamas terror organization announced on Sunday morning that it will transfer the body of fallen IDF officer Lt. Hadar Goldin HY”D to the International Red Cross at 2:00 PM. Israeli authorities are preparing to receive the remains and bring them to the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute for identification.
According to the Hamas statement, “As part of the Al-Aqsa Flood prisoner exchange deal, the Al-Qassam Brigades will hand over the body of the officer ‘Hadar Goldin,’ which was found yesterday afternoon in one of the tunnel routes in the ‘Yabna’ camp in Rafah, southern Gaza, at 2:00 PM Gaza time.”
Earlier, the families of the five Israeli soldiers whose bodies remain in Hamas captivity were informed that one of the fallen hostages would be returned in the afternoon hours.
“We wish to update you that preparations are underway for a handover of remains later today. It is likely to be the return of one fallen soldier,” said the message sent to the families.
An Israeli government source said this morning that Israel views the delay in returning Lt. Goldin’s remains as a serious violation. “Israel demands his immediate return,” the source stated.
At the same time, reports indicate that Hamas has attempted to propose a deal in which, in exchange for releasing Goldin’s body, Israel would allow 150 terrorists trapped in a Rafah tunnel to leave unharmed. Israeli officials have made it clear that there is no agreement to such an arrangement.
Yesterday, as part of its ongoing psychological warfare, Hamas released a video through Al Jazeera showing terrorists alongside Red Cross personnel entering a tunnel and removing a bag that appeared to contain a body. Before removing it, the terrorists placed a sticker on the bag labeled in Hebrew, English, and Arabic: “Hadar Goldin.”
Lt. Hadar Goldin, a platoon commander in the Givati Brigade, was killed and kidnapped during Operation Protective Edge on August 1, 2014, in Rafah, just hours after a ceasefire had been declared. His abduction, along with that of Staff Sgt. Oron Shaul HY”D, became a national symbol of Israel’s commitment to “never leave a soldier behind.”
The Goldin family has fought tirelessly for over a decade to bring their son home, meeting with world leaders and urging the government to condition any aid to Gaza on the return of Israeli captives and remains.
If confirmed, the recovery of his remains marks the end of an agonizing 11-year wait for the family and the nation, closing a painful chapter in Israel’s collective memory.
B”H
I found it insulting to use the word “remains” for the body that is coming back from gaza be”H.
You’re not talking about a plate of food. You’re talking about a human being that is made in God’s image.