Israel has received a body that Hamas claims is that of Lt. Hadar Goldin, an Israeli soldier killed more than a decade ago in Gaza, the Prime Minister’s Office said on Sunday.
Goldin was killed in the final days of the 2014 war between Israel and Hamas and his body has been held in Gaza since then.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said earlier that tests to verify his identity will begin “immediately” after his body is handed over.
As with previous hostage returns, Hamas handed what it said was Goldin’s body to the the International Red Cross, which then transferred it to the Israeli military. The handover was part of the ceasefire agreement that brought the worst of the fighting in Gaza to an end a month ago.
In a statement on Saturday evening, Goldin’s family said they are “waiting for Hadar to be returned to us.” They said the Israeli military chief had updated them on the on the “tremendous effort” to return Goldin.
Goldin’s family has spent years campaigning for his return, citing Israel’s commitment to the principle of leaving no one behind in conflict. The international campaign for the return of hostages taken during the Hamas-led terror attack on October 7, 2023 put a new spotlight on their fight.
Goldin was one of the last five hostages whose body remained in Gaza. Under the first phase of the US-brokered ceasefire, Hamas was required to return all hostages, including the bodies of those who had been killed.
Credit: cnn.com
