Hundreds of mourners gathered Tuesday in the central Israeli town of Kfar Saba to bury Lt. Hadar Goldin, an army officer whose remains were returned by Hamas more than a decade after he was killed during combat in Gaza.
The funeral, held at a military cemetery, drew a solemn crowd. Some attendees climbed rooftops for a view of the ceremony, while others sat quietly in plastic chairs before a large outdoor screen. Israeli flags fluttered in the breeze as mourners held portraits of the young officer and banners reading, “We will remember forever.”
Goldin, 23, was killed on August 1, 2014, during Operation Protective Edge, a six-week military campaign in Gaza. He was leading a mission to destroy Hamas tunnels when he was ambushed and killed, just hours into a humanitarian ceasefire. His body was seized and held in Gaza until Sunday, when his remains were returned to Israel as part of a ceasefire agreement brokered by President Donald J. Trump.
His father, Simcha Goldin, addressed the crowd, calling his son a “Jewish warrior” and urging unity. “Behave righteously and do not hate one another,” he said. “That is Hadar’s legacy.”
Goldin’s twin brother, Tzur, spoke of the emotional toll of hostage-taking, describing it as a tactic meant to fracture Israeli society. “It aims to force us to decide who matters more or less,” he said. “Our victory will be to ensure the founding principle of Israeli society — not abandoning one another — remains intact.”
Tributes poured in from across the Israeli government and military. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant called Goldin “a symbol of courage and commitment,” adding, “His return reminds us of our sacred duty to every soldier and every family.” IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi attended the funeral and praised Goldin’s “unwavering dedication to his mission and his comrades.”
Givati Brigade Commander Col. Netanel Shamkeh, who served alongside Goldin, delivered a eulogy describing him as “a leader in uniform and in spirit.” Singer Idan Amedi, performing at the ceremony, criticized the government’s handling of hostage negotiations but said Goldin’s return was “a moment of national healing.”
The return of Goldin’s remains marked the end of an 11-year ordeal for his family, who held a symbolic funeral in 2014 after partial remains were recovered. Repeated efforts to retrieve the rest of his body through prisoner exchanges had failed.
“It’s some kind of relief,” said Aharon Gamzu, 48, a software engineer draped in an Israeli flag. “We all go to the army when we are 18 and we trust the country to bring us back.”
Since the ceasefire took effect on October 10, Hamas has returned 20 living hostages and the remains of 24 others, including Goldin. Four bodies from the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack — which triggered the latest war in Gaza — remain unaccounted for.
For many Israelis, Goldin’s burial was not only a moment of closure but a reaffirmation of a national ethos: that no soldier is left behind.
