Turkey asserts it assisted in Goldin’s return; Israeli officials challenge the claim

Goldin’s body, held in Gaza for 11 years after he was killed and abducted during the 2014 war, was returned to Israel on Sunday night.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Turkey’s claim that it played a decisive role in the return of Lt. Hadar Goldin’s remains has prompted sharp disagreement from Israeli officials, who say Ankara’s involvement may have delayed — rather than enabled — the handover.

Goldin’s body, held in Gaza for 11 years after he was killed and abducted during the 2014 war, was returned to Israel on Sunday night.

A senior Turkish official told Channel 12 that Ankara “successfully facilitated” the transfer after intensive talks with Hamas, describing the development as evidence of Hamas’s commitment to the ceasefire.

The official added that Turkey is now pushing for safe passage for “some 200 Gazans currently trapped in the tunnels,” referring to the 100–200 Hamas terrorists cornered in Rafah on the Israeli-controlled side of the Yellow Line.

According to the official, their evacuation is part of ongoing negotiations.

Israeli sources, however, offered a conflicting account. According to an unsourced Channel 12 report, Turkey encouraged Hamas to delay returning Goldin’s body in order to hold out for a deal that would free the terrorists in the tunnels. The arrangement reportedly collapsed when Israel refused to tie Goldin’s return to the release of Hamas members. The Prime Minister’s Office did not comment on the reports.

A Palestinian source speaking to the Kan public broadcaster said Turkey, backed by the United States, is now applying pressure on Hamas to release the bodies of the remaining four hostages still held in Gaza. The source claimed Hamas is struggling to locate some of the remains — a difficulty that mediators are aware of and have acknowledged.

The bodies yet to be returned include three Israelis — Ran Gvili, Meny Godard and Dror Or — and Sudthisak Rinthalak, a Thai national killed on October 7. Their return is part of the ongoing phase of the ceasefire plan linked to President Donald Trump’s proposal for Gaza.

The diplomatic friction over Goldin’s case comes amid wider tensions surrounding the structure of the proposed International Stabilization Force (ISF), a multinational deployment that would secure Gaza after Israel’s withdrawal.

According to Sky News Arabia, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected both Turkish participation in the force and a separate proposal to allow Palestinian Authority security units trained in Egypt and Jordan to enter the Strip.