IDF Denies Reports That Hadar Goldin’s Body Is Held in Rafah Tunnel

The IDF on Wednesday night firmly denied reports that the body of Lt. Hadar Goldin, who was abducted and killed during Operation Protective Edge in 2014, is being held inside a Hamas tunnel in Rafah where dozens of terrorists are currently besieged.

In a statement, the IDF Spokesperson said there is “no information establishing that Hadar’s body is in the tunnel where Hamas terrorists are located” and called the circulating claims “false and harmful.” The army urged the public to rely solely on official updates and to “avoid spreading false rumors that hurt the hostages’ families and the public.”

The denial followed an earlier report by Galei Tzahal citing Israeli security assessments that Goldin’s body might be located in the same underground network in eastern Rafah where roughly 150 Hamas terrorists are trapped. The report set off a wave of speculation on social media and among military commentators.

Israeli officials later confirmed that while there is credible intelligence placing Goldin somewhere within the Rafah area, it does not indicate that he is inside the specific tunnel under siege. “The IDF continues major efforts to recover the bodies of fallen hostages held by Hamas,” a defense source said.

The incident centers on an extensive underground system beneath the so-called Yellow Line zone of eastern Rafah, where dozens of Hamas operatives have been surrounded by Israeli forces. According to assessments in Southern Command, the terrorists have been trapped for days with limited food and water, surviving mostly on dates. Israeli units have been working to pump concrete into shafts identified in the area and to neutralize the network’s exits.

Over the past week, Hamas appealed to international mediators, including Turkey, requesting a “safe passage” for roughly 200 fighters caught in the tunnels. Israeli officials have rejected those requests, conditioning any such move on the return of all hostages and the bodies of fallen soldiers. Security sources said Turkey has applied new pressure on Hamas leaders to provide information on Goldin’s whereabouts, making the next 48 hours critical as Israel continues to strike the Rafah perimeter.

Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, addressing the issue earlier this week, emphasized that the army’s goal is to eliminate the terrorists trapped underground. He told political leaders that the IDF would only consider allowing them to emerge unarmed if Hamas returns all captives, including Goldin. “No terrorist will leave alive unless Hadar Goldin is brought home,” Zamir told ministers.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided against approving a proposal that would have allowed the trapped gunmen to move into Hamas-controlled territory in exchange for disarmament. The decision followed intense debate within the security cabinet and heavy pressure from right-wing ministers opposed to any deal.

The army reiterated that all efforts to recover the remains of fallen soldiers and return hostages “continue at all times and across all relevant arenas.”