IDF denies report that Hamas is holding Hadar Goldin’s body in tunnel with 150 terrorists

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

The IDF denied a report on Wednesday broadcast by army radio that the body of Lt. Hadar Goldin, the Israeli officer captured during Operation Protective Edge in 2014, is being kept inside a tunnel on the Israeli side of the Yellow Line in Gaza alongside 150 terrorists Hamas is seeking safe passage for.

Although the tactic of using living and deceased hostages as human shields has been employed frequently by Hamas, Goldin’s body is not being used to shield the terrorists who are requesting immunity.

The report attempted to explain the reason Israel has so far avoided attacking that tunnel system is to protect the remains of hostages. 

Goldin was abducted on August 1, 2014, while leading a mission to dismantle a terror tunnel in Rafah.

He was captured after two Hamas terrorists emerged from an underground shaft and ambushed his unit. His body has been held in Gaza ever since, along with that of Staff Sgt. Oron Shaul.

Meanwhile, Hamas announced that it would return the remains of another Israeli hostage on Wednesday evening at 9 p.m.

After a significant delay in returning the bodies of deceased hostages, Hamas released the bodies of several soldiers and hostages killed in Gaza, including Staff Sgt. Itay Chen, whose remains were handed over on Tuesday.

Over the weekend, the group also returned the bodies of Col. Asaf Hamami, 40, Capt. Omer Neutra, 21, and St.-Sgt. Oz Daniel, 19.

Seven hostage remains are still being held in Gaza.

An earlier report by The Jerusalem Post revealed that Hamas has long known the locations of both Goldin and Hamami and has deliberately delayed returning them as part of its ongoing negotiations with Israel.
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