Hadar Goldin: Remains of Israeli soldier killed in Gaza returned – 11 years later
The remains of a soldier killed in the Gaza Strip in 2014 have been returned to Israel.
Hadar Goldin was 23 and died just two hours after a ceasefire took effect.
For the past 11 years, his family have been campaigning for his body to come home.
His remains had been the only ones left in Gaza that predated the most recent war between Israel and Hamas.
This marks a significant development in the US-brokered truce, which remains fragile.
At present, the remains of four hostages from the current conflict remain in Gaza – with Israel criticising how long it is taking for them to be returned.
As Mr Goldin’s body returned to Israel, dozens of people gathered along intersections to watch a police convoy travel to the national forensic institute for examination.
The soldier’s parents said Israel’s military “and not anyone else” had brought home their son, in an apparent criticism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Hadar Goldin’s parents, Simcha and Leah. Pic: APTN
Earlier this year, his mother Leah said her family often felt alone in their struggle to bring his body home for burial.
“Hadar is a soldier who went to combat and they abandoned him, and they destroyed his humanitarian rights and ours as well,” she told the AP news agency.
Ms Goldin alleged that opportunities had been missed to repatriate his remains.
“The biggest disappointment was during the COVID-19 pandemic when it was actually possible to bring back Hadar … in exchange for vaccines while the entire world was in a humanitarian crisis,” she said.
“And those who didn’t do it were the decision-makers in Israel.”
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For each hostage returned, Israel has been releasing the remains of 15 Palestinians.
A total of 300 Palestinians have been returned – but because DNA labs are prohibited in Gaza, only 89 have been identified so far.
In other developments, Turkey says it is working to ensure the safe passage of an estimated 200 civilians who are currently trapped in tunnels inside Gaza.
