A woman walks past a photo of Hadar Goldin, an Israeli soldier killed in 2014 whose body has been held in Gaza since then, in Jerusalem, Sunday, November 9, 2025. MAHMOUD ILLEAN / AP
Israel said it had received on Sunday, November 8, the remains of a hostage that Hamas claims belong to Israeli officer Hadar Goldin, killed in the 2014 Gaza war. Israeli forensic experts are expected to determine the identity of the remains once they are brought into Israel. If confirmed, Goldin would be the 24th deceased hostage whose remains have been returned by Hamas since the start of the ceasefire on October 10 that has halted the war in Gaza.
"Israel has received, via the Red Cross, the coffin of a fallen hostage that was transferred to [the Israeli army] and Shin Bet personnel inside the Gaza Strip," the prime minister's office said. Hamas' armed wing, the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, said earlier it had found Goldin's remains in a tunnel in Rafah the day before.
Goldin's body has been held in Gaza since his death in 2014. Until now, Hamas had never acknowledged his death nor possession of his remains. Israeli media reported on Saturday that Israel had allowed Hamas and Red Cross personnel to search in an area under Israeli control in Rafah to locate Goldin's remains.
