Operation Vengeance
WATCH: IDF Destroys Hamas Terror Tunnel Used to Abduct Hadar Goldin's Body
The IDF’s Nahal Combat Team achieved symbolic closure this week by destroying the specific tunnel shaft through which Hamas terrorists abducted the body of Lieutenant Hadar Goldin over a decade ago, just hours after his remains were returned home.
In an act described as achieving full circle, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have destroyed the specific tunnel shaft used by Hamas terrorists to abduct the body of Lieutenant Hadar Goldin in August 2014. The operation, carried out by the Nahal Brigade Combat Team, took place just hours after Goldin’s remains were finally returned to Israel for burial after nearly twelve years of diplomatic and military effort.
The military confirmed that the tunnel shaft, which had been in place for over a decade, was dismantled and destroyed by Nahal soldiers earlier this week. The destruction of this physical site of abduction represents a symbolic closure to a painful chapter for the Goldin family and the nation.
The Long Road Home and Swift Retribution
Lieutenant Hadar Goldin was killed in action during Operation Protective Edge in August 2014. Immediately following his death, Hamas terrorists seized his body and transported it into Gaza via the tunnel shaft, holding the remains for eleven and a half years. Goldin’s case became a persistent national priority and a poignant symbol of the country’s commitment to retrieving all its fallen soldiers and kidnapped citizens.
The decision to destroy the specific tunnel entrance was implemented almost immediately upon the news that Goldin’s body was finally home. The swift action by the Nahal Combat Team, the unit to which Goldin belonged, underscores the military’s determination to neutralize sites associated with Hamas’s aggression and psychological warfare.
Military sources provided footage of the destruction, emphasizing that the mission was carried out with precise operational efficiency. The destruction of the shaft now serves a dual purpose: preventing any potential future use by Hamas terrorists and symbolizing the final closure of the site where the abduction took place over a decade ago.
A Chapter Closes
The return of Lieutenant Goldin's remains allows the family and the country to finally lay him to rest. The emotional and strategic significance of destroying the abduction point just hours after his return transforms the physical space from a site of trauma and theft into one of justice and closure.
The military has not released further details regarding the method or timing of the return of the body, but the subsequent destruction of the tunnel shaft confirms the immediate cessation of its threat and its role in the decade-long national ordeal.