Israel Receives Remains of Fallen Soldier Hadar Goldin After 11 Years
After 4,118 days in Gaza, the remains of Lt. Hadar Goldin were finally returned to Israel, the Prime Minister’s Office announced on Sunday.
Goldin, a 23-year-old officer in the Givati Brigade Reconnaissance Battalion, was killed and taken by Hamas during a cease-fire in Rafah in 2014. His return ended more than a decade of anguish for his family.
Four other bodies remain in Gaza — three Israeli citizens and one Thai national abducted during the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack.
President Isaac Herzog called Goldin “a hero of Israel,” adding that the nation embraces his family “with deep love and boundless admiration for their unwavering strength.” Herzog thanked U.S. officials for helping close “a painful chapter in Israeli history.”
Hamas claimed to have located the remains in a tunnel in Rafah. The body was handed over to Israeli forces via the International Committee of the Red Cross, then transported under military escort to the National Institute of Forensic Medicine in Tel Aviv for identification.
Crowds lined intersections waving Israeli flags as the convoy passed. The Prime Minister’s Office pledged to continue efforts until all hostages and fallen soldiers are brought home.
Goldin, from Kfar Saba, was engaged and is survived by his parents Leah and Simcha, a twin brother, and a sister. His sister Ayelet wrote:
“More than anything, he’s my little brother. Time stopped … But finally, you’ve come home.”
Regev: Transportation Ministry Advancing ‘De Facto Sovereignty’ in Judea and Samaria
Transportation Minister Miri Regev said her ministry is actively reinforcing Israeli control in Judea and Samaria, building roads, bypass routes, and lighting projects as part of what she called a plan for “de facto sovereignty.”
In an interview with Channel 12, Regev said she believes full legal sovereignty will eventually follow, adding that even the U.S. administration recognizes there is “no other way.”
Since late 2022, the Netanyahu government has approved roughly 50,000 housing units and more than 50 new Jewish communities in the area.
Recent Knesset votes to apply formal sovereignty drew sharp criticism from U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who called the move a “political stunt.” Former President Donald Trump also reaffirmed his opposition, citing commitments to Arab states.
Polls show that nearly 70 percent of Israelis support extending sovereignty, while a majority believe the communities there strengthen national security.
IDF Finds Four Hamas Terror Tunnels Near Cease-Fire Line
The Israel Defense Forces announced the discovery and destruction of four Hamas terror tunnels near the Yellow Line in southern Gaza over the past month.
The tunnels were uncovered in Khan Yunis, along with dozens of weapons caches and other terrorist infrastructure.
According to the IDF, troops under the Southern Command continue operating near the Yellow Line “to remove any immediate threat to soldiers and Israeli civilians.”
The Yellow Line separates the areas controlled by Israel under the U.S.-brokered cease-fire from the rest of Gaza. The truce remains in place despite repeated Hamas violations, including armed crossings and delays in returning hostage remains.
Following the return of Lt. Hadar Goldin’s body, three Israelis and one Thai national are still believed to be held in Gaza.
