Red Cross Receives Coordinates for Hadar Goldin’s Body

Hamas' military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, announced it had provided the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) with coordinates and maps pinpointing the location of the remains of Israeli soldier Hadar Goldin, captured during the 2014 Gaza War.

The move, reported via Palestinian media and social channels, represents a potential step forward in efforts to recover one of the longest-held Israeli remains, amid ongoing ceasefire negotiations and hostage repatriations.

Goldin, a 23-year-old lieutenant in the IDF's elite Givati Brigade, was killed on August 1, 2014, during Operation Protective Edge, just two hours into a UN- and U.S.-brokered humanitarian ceasefire in Rafah, southern Gaza.

Hamas terrorists emerged from a tunnel, ambushed an Israeli patrol, killed two soldiers (Major Benaya Sarel and Staff Sergeant Liel Gidoni), and dragged Goldin's body back underground. The IDF initially presumed him kidnapped alive but later declared him dead based on intelligence and sparse remains (tissue from clothing) found in the tunnel.

Hamas has held his body as a bargaining chip ever since, denying confirmation of his death and using it in stalled negotiations.

The Goldin family, parents Leah and Simcha, along with siblings including twin brother Tzur, has campaigned relentlessly for over 11 years, marking milestones like the 4,000th day of captivity in July 2025.

Leah Goldin, a software engineer turned advocate, has met with world leaders, including accompanying President Isaac Herzog to a U.S. Congress address in July 2023, where she received a standing ovation.

The family established the Hadar Goldin Foundation to honor his memory as a patriot, artist, poet, and humanitarian, while pressing the UN and ICRC for intervention under the Geneva Conventions, which mandate respectful treatment of fallen combatants.

In July 2023, they visited Geneva to urge UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk and ICRC Vice-President Gilles Carbonnier to act, emphasizing Hamas' violations.This development comes against the backdrop of the October 2025 Gaza ceasefire, which ended nearly two years of intense fighting after Hamas's October 7, 2023, attack.

Under the U.S.-brokered deal, all 20 remaining living hostages were released by October 13, 2025, followed by the gradual return of 28 deceased captives' remains via the Red Cross. Recent transfers include two unidentified coffins on October 21, 2025, handed over at Kerem Shalom crossing through Egyptian mediation, with identification ongoing.

However, 13 remains, including Goldin's, U.S. citizens Itay Chen and Omer Neutra, are still held by Hamas.

The handover of Goldin's coordinates could facilitate a targeted recovery operation, potentially separate from broader talks, though Israeli officials have not yet confirmed receipt or next steps.

Leah Goldin has long insisted on including pre-October 7 captives in any deal, stating in July 2025: "This war was born 11 years ago, when it was decided to leave hostages behind in Gaza." Hamas has occasionally released taunting media, such as a 2023 video of Goldin's kidnapping and photos of his Tavor rifle, described by Jerusalem as psychological warfare.The ICRC, neutral mediator in such exchanges, has facilitated prior returns but faced criticism for limited action on Goldin and Shaul.

As the ceasefire nears its expiry phase, this gesture may signal Hamas' willingness to resolve legacy cases, though experts caution it could be tied to demands for Palestinian prisoner releases or reconstruction aid.

For the Goldins, it offers faint hope after years of grief, with Leah noting in a 2023 interview: "We continue to smile, to live our lives with all the pain."