Israel Confirms Receipt of Soldier’s Remains Killed in Gaza in 2014
Return of Hadar Goldin’s remains ends 11-year wait, renews debate over Israel’s truce talks with Hamas
- The handover reportedly linked to ongoing US-brokered truce efforts involving Jared Kushner
- Israel confirms recovery of soldier Hadar Goldin’s remains, 11 years after his death in Gaza
- Goldin’s family says they can finally give him a proper Jewish burial after years of campaigning
After more than a decade of anguish, Israel has confirmed the recovery of the remains of Hadar Goldin, the 23-year-old soldier killed in Gaza during the 2014 war.
His return marks the end of an 11-year campaign by his family to bring him home.
Goldin was killed just two hours after a ceasefire took effect in August 2014. Evidence found in a Hamas tunnel — including his bloodstained uniform and prayer fringes — had long confirmed his death. His remains were the last from that war still held in Gaza.
The development, part of a US-brokered truce that has been struggling to hold, was met with solemn scenes as Israelis lined the streets to honor the convoy carrying Goldin’s remains to a forensic institute. Later, mourners gathered outside his family’s home as his parents expressed both relief and frustration over years of “disappointment,” pointedly crediting the Israeli military, not politicians, for bringing him back.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged the family’s suffering, saying they could now give their son a proper Jewish burial. Earlier this year, Israel also recovered the body of another soldier, Oron Shaul, killed in the same conflict.
The return reportedly came amid sensitive negotiations involving Jared Kushner, adviser to former US President Donald Trump, who is in Israel pushing forward the fragile ceasefire plan. Israeli media suggest Hamas delayed releasing Goldin’s remains while seeking safe passage for trapped militants in Rafah — a claim the group has not confirmed.
Goldin’s mother, Leah Goldin, said the recovery ends years of torment. She had earlier described living with “a knife that keeps cutting anew,” calling her son’s return both a moral and national duty.
The case has come to symbolize Israel’s enduring principle of never leaving soldiers behind — a deeply held commitment rooted in both faith and national identity.
