Israel has claimed a body that Hamas claims is that of Lieutenant Hadar Goldin, an Israeli soldier killed in Gaza more than a decade ago, the Prime Minister’s Office announced on Sunday.
Goldin was killed in the final days of the 2014 war between Israel and Hamas, and his body has been kept in Gaza ever since.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said earlier that tests to confirm the body’s identity would begin “immediately” after the body is handed over.
As with previous hostage returns, Hamas handed over what was believed to be Goldin’s body to the International Red Cross, which transferred it to the Israeli military. The handover was part of a ceasefire agreement that ended the worst fighting in Gaza a month ago.
In a statement Saturday night, Goldin’s family said they are “waiting for Hadar to return.” They said Israeli military commanders gave an update on the “huge efforts” 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. An international campaign calling for the return of hostages captured in a Hamas-led terrorist attack on October 7, 2023 has put a new spotlight on Hamas’ fight.
Goldin was one of the last five hostages whose bodies remained in Gaza. The first phase of the US-brokered ceasefire called for Hamas to return all hostages, including the bodies of those killed.
Israeli intelligence has previously assessed that Hamas may not be able to find and return all of the dead hostages remaining in Gaza.
Goldin was killed on August 1, 2014, days before Israel withdrew its troops from Gaza. He was 23 years old and one of 68 Israeli soldiers killed in the month-and-a-half war.
More than 2,200 Palestinians have been killed in the conflict, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
If Goldin’s identity is confirmed, his return will bring the total number of dead hostages remaining in Gaza to four.
The three are Israelis who were killed on October 7, 2023, and whose bodies were taken to Gaza. The fourth person is a Thai national who was kidnapped during the attack. The Thai government announced in May 2024 that he was presumed dead.
