After 4,118 Days, Hadar Goldin Returns Home

After 11 and a half years of waiting, Israel confirmed Sunday that the remains of IDF Lieutenant Hadar Goldin had been returned to Israel for burial. The Prime Minister’s Office announced that forensic experts at the National Institute of Forensic Medicine in Abu Kabir completed the identification process and notified his family in Kfar Saba.

Goldin fell and was abducted by Hamas during a ceasefire on August 1, 2014, in Rafah, at the end of Operation Protective Edge.Goldin was 23 when he fell, leaving behind his parents, two brothers, a sister, and his fiancée, Adina Sarusi.

Outside their home in Kfar Saba, Goldin’s parents, Leah and Simcha Goldin, addressed the nation in the same place where they had spoken 11 years earlier, on the day his abduction became known. Hundreds gathered nearby, including members of the Bnei Akiva movement, holding Israeli flags and singing “Acheinu Kol Beit Yisrael.”

“IDF soldiers brought Hadar home — no one else,” said his father. “They fought to bring a comrade back from the battlefield. That’s a value, and we don’t compromise on our values.”

His mother, Leah, added: “Eleven years ago we stood here and shouted that Israel must not leave Gaza without bringing Hadar back. We believed it was obvious the State of Israel would never leave soldiers behind. We have suffered many disappointments, the worst during COVID, when he could have been returned in exchange for vaccines and decision-makers did not do it. I am fighting not only for Hadar, but for the next captive. If October 7 did not awaken every Israeli, look at us, we will show you why it is a moral duty to fight for our children.”

Goldin’s sister Ayelet wrote in the family WhatsApp group “Misdar Hadar”: “It’s done — we brought Hadar home. ❤️ He’s my little brother. Time stopped — it feels like he just went out and now he’s back. We stayed true to our values, to the Israeli spirit of truth and goodness. The straight path wins, goodness wins, and together we will heal and bring everyone home. Hadar — you are my inspiration forever.”

In an official statement, the Prime Minister’s Office said: “After completion of the identification process, IDF representatives informed the family that their beloved Hadar Goldin has been returned to Israel. The Government of Israel mourns with the Goldin family and with all families of fallen hostages. Israel remains committed to bringing every fallen captive to a dignified burial in our land.” The statement added that Hamas “must fulfill its obligations to the mediators and return all of the fallen hostages.”

The IDF said that Goldin’s return was the result of “persistent efforts over the years combining intelligence work, field operations and close cooperation with the Shin Bet.” They noted that the army “will continue to invest all efforts to bring home every fallen and missing soldier.”
 

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said: “The return of Hadar Goldin is a measure of healing for a family that lived in anguish for over 11 years. We will not rest until the last hostage is brought home.”

In Kfar Saba, Mayor Rafi Saar said, “After years of pain and hope, Hadar Goldin is on his way to his final rest in the land he loved. We embrace the Goldin family with deep affection and will accompany Hadar with Israeli flags on his last journey.”

As her son finally returned home, Hadar’s mother, Leah Goldin’s said the message she had repeated for years: “We must never give up on who we are, and we will win, because of our values.”