Israel received the remains of two hostages in two days, the most recent of which came on Sunday, as the initial terms of the first phase of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire near an end. Hadar Goldin’s body was taken hostage during the 2014 six-week war between Israel and Hamas, making him the only remaining hostage to have been held by the militant group since before the start of the current war.
More than a decade later
According to Israeli media, the remains were received by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and taken to Israel’s National Institute of Forensic Medicine on Sunday. Hamas reportedly confirmed via social media its intentions to return Goldin’s body, which the group said it had located in a tunnel in the southern city of Rafah on Saturday.
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In a post to X, the Office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wrote, “Israel has received, via the Red Cross, the coffin of a fallen hostage, which was handed over to an IDF and ISA force inside the Gaza Strip. From there it will be transferred to Israel, where it will be received in a military ceremony with the participation of the IDF Chief Rabbi.”
Goldin’s body had been held in Gaza for more than a decade. The 23-year-old was killed Aug. 1, 2014, while he and his team were dismantling tunnels in Gaza just hours after Hamas and Israel had agreed to a temporary ceasefire during the six-week war.
“Lieutenant Hadar Goldin fell in heroic combat during Operation Protective Edge,” Netanyahu said during a televised address Sunday. “His body was abducted by Hamas, which refused to return him throughout this entire period.”
Goldin’s family also said they were waiting to learn whether their son had been repatriated. “We are waiting for official confirmation that Hadar has returned to Israel,” the family said in a statement. “We don’t give up on anyone in this country, ever. We ask everyone to remain calm. Until it’s final, it’s not over.”
4 hostages remain in Gaza
The return of Goldin’s remains follows another hostage handover on Saturday. There are now four remaining deceased hostages being held by Hamas –– three Israelis and one Thai national.
On Saturday, the Israeli military announced that it had received and identified the remains of Lior Rudaeff, a 61-year-old Israeli-Argentinian who was taken hostage two years ago.
In a post to social media, the Israel Defense Forces said that Rudaeff was the deputy security coordinator of Nir Yitzhak, a kibbutz that was attacked by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad as part of Hamas’ surprise offensive on Oct. 7, 2023. Rudaeff reportedly died on May 7, 2024. However, his body was not recovered until Friday.
1 month into the ceasefire
Under the initial terms of the first phase of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire, which went into effect on Oct. 10, Hamas was required to hand over all of the hostages, both living and dead, still in its captivity. With all 20 living hostages back in Israel and 24 of the 28 deceased hostages now handed over, it’s unclear what the next phase of the ceasefire will look like.
Israel began its offensive against Hamas shortly after the militant group launched a surprise attack on Oct. 7, 2023, killing roughly 1,500 Israelis, mostly civilians, and taking another 251 hostage.
Since then, the Israeli military has killed at least 69,176 Palestinians and wounded more than 150,000 others, many of whom have suffered life-altering injuries. The death toll in Gaza will continue to climb as officials and international aid organizations sift through the enclave’s ruins.
