The IDF said Sunday that the deceased hostage is now in Israel and on its way to the National Center of Forensic Medicine, and will receive in a military ceremony attended by the IDF chief rabbi.
Earlier, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that Lt. Hadar Goldin is expected to be returned to Israel today.
An Israeli political source condemned the delay in returning Goldin, calling it a "serious violation." Hamas, in turn, accused Israel of seeking pretexts to violate the cease-fire and exploit the situation to launch attacks in Gaza.
According to Hamas' official statement, Goldin was found in one of the tunnels in the Yibna refugee camp in Rafah and are to be handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross at 2 p.m. Sunday. Earlier in the day, the families of five other deceased hostages were notified about the return of the deceased hostage.
The terrorist organization claimed that the recovery of the deceased hostages was taking place under "complex and difficult conditions" and that recovery efforts are still ongoing. The announcement appeared to come in response to the criticism by an Israeli official over the delay in returning Goldin.
Hamas also blamed Israel for the ongoing clashes with its gunmen in Rafah, stressing that "the principle of surrender does not exist in the vocabulary of [its] military wing." The organization said that the continuation of the recovery operation required additional technical teams and equipment on the ground. It also called on mediators to ensure that the cease-fire holds and to prevent Israel from using "excuses" to breach it or to carry out attacks in Gaza.
Israel confirmed on Saturday that Hamas had located Lt. Hadar Goldin, an officer in the IDF Givati Brigade who fell during Operation Protective Edge in 2014. However, after the terrorist group delayed the process and failed to provide updates nearly a day later, an Israeli political source condemned the ongoing postponement as "a serious violation."
Media outlets affiliated with Hamas circulated photographs of six terrorists whose bodies were reportedly found in a Rafah tunnel on Saturday—the same tunnel from which Goldin's remains were said to have been recovered, according to Arab reports. Those channels hinted that the men belonged to Hamas' "Shadow Unit," which is tasked with guarding hostages and the remains of fallen soldiers.
