Body of IDF soldier Hadar Goldin returns to Israel after 11 years, identity confirmed

Coffin carrying human remains handed over to Israel via the International Committee of the Red Cross.

By World Israel News Staff

The remains of Hadar Goldin, an IDF soldier killed during the 2014 Gaza war and held captive by Hamas for over a decade, were returned to Israel Sunday afternoon by Hamas.

The remains were positively identified by Israeli forensic experts as belonging to Goldin.

Hamas teams operating inside IDF-held territory in southern Gaza located Goldin’s remains in a terror tunnel underneath the city of Rafah on Saturday, a spokesperson for the al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ military wing,              said Sunday morning.

“As part of the Al Aqsa Flood prisoner exchange deal, the al-Qassam Brigades will hand over the body of Hadar Goldin, which was found yesterday afternoon in a tunnel in the Yebna camp in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, at 2 PM Gaza time.”

On Saturday, Al Jazeera published footage of a body, purportedly belonging to Goldin, after its recovery from Rafah.

A coffin carrying human remains was transferred to the International Committee of the Red Cross, before being handed over to the Israeli military.

“Israel has received, via the Red Cross, the coffin of a fallen hostage, which was handed over to an IDF and ISA force inside the Gaza Strip. From there, it will be transferred to Israel, where it will be received in a military ceremony with the participation of the IDF Chief Rabbi,” the Prime Minister’s Office announced Sunday.

“It will then be transferred to the Health Ministry National Center of Forensic Medicine. Upon completion of the identification process, formal notification will be delivered to the family.”

The remains underwent forensic examinations to verify the body’s identity, which was later confirmed to be Hadar Goldin.

The bodies of four hostages will still remain unaccounted for, despite Hamas’ obligation to transfer all hostages to Israel by October 13.

Nevertheless, the al-Qassam Brigades denied Sunday morning that it has failed to adhere to its obligations under the US-backed Gaza peace plan.

“The process of recovering bodies during the past phase took place under complex and extremely difficult circumstances,” Hamas’ armed wing said.

“Despite this, we adhered to our obligations under the agreement. We emphasize that recovering the remaining bodies requires additional teams and technical equipment.”

The terror group also confirmed Sunday that a number of terrorists from the organization are trapped in terror tunnels underneath Rafah.

“The occupation bears full responsibility for the clashes with our fighters in Rafah, who are defending themselves within an area under its control. Let the enemy know that the principle of surrender and submission to the enemy does not exist in the Qassam Brigades’ lexicon,” Hamas said.

There are approximately 200 Hamas terrorists trapped in tunnels in the Rafah area and cut off from Hamas-controlled territory.

While Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz (Likud) has vowed that the IDF will eliminate all terrorists found on the Israeli side of the Yellow Line in Gaza, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly considered a plan to grant the terrorists safe passage to Hamas-controlled territory on condition they disarm and hand over Goldin’s remains.

It is unclear whether the return of Goldin’s body on Sunday was linked to safe passage for the terrorists holed up in Rafah.