IDF representatives informed the family of Lt. Hadar Goldin, on Sunday that he had been returned to Israel and his identity confirmed. Lt. Goldin was killed and abducted in 2014 during Operation Protective Edge in the Gaza Strip.
Hadar Goldin, 23 at the time of his death, was a fallen captive soldier abducted by the Hamas terrorist organization during the operation. He had been held in captivity since August 1, 2014—more than 11 years. His parents, Leah and Simcha Goldin, waged a years-long battle for his return for burial in Israel, launching their campaign to bring home Israeli hostages long before most of the country fully grasped its significance.
Hadar was born in February 1991 in Ashhar, a mixed religious and secular community. He arrived as a younger brother to Ayelet and to Hemi. Hadar, the elder of twins, waited patiently for five minutes outside the womb until his twin brother, Tzur, was born. Together, the brothers won the hearts of their kindergarten teachers and instructors. They learned to play music, paint and sculpt, attended the Bnei Akiva youth movement—first as participants, later as counselors—and went on together to the Bnei David pre-military academy in Eli.
An outstanding officer
Hadar enlisted in the Givati Brigade and was accepted into the reconnaissance battalion. He excelled throughout his service and fulfilled his ambition of becoming a team commander in the elite unit. He was engaged to his fiancée, Edna, and the two had set a date for their wedding.
In June 2014, Israel launched Operation Protective Edge against Hamas in Gaza. Hadar went into battle and never returned. He was killed and abducted during a ceasefire, in an operation to locate tunnels intended for the massacre of residents of southern Israel.
Declared fallen, his body remained in Gaza
On August 1, 2014, during combat with terrorists who emerged from a tunnel, the reconnaissance company commander, Maj. Benaya Sarel, Lt. Hadar Goldin and Staff Sgt. Liel Gidoni were killed. Hadar was dragged into a nearby tunnel by terrorists. The IDF chief rabbi later declared him fallen in battle. His grave was established at the military cemetery in Kfar Saba, though his body was held in Gaza, untill now.
Hadar, through his smile, his paintings, his writings, and in the hearts of his family, students and soldiers, left behind a legacy rooted in love for humanity. He forbade his soldiers to curse, devoted himself to helping those in need, and did everything he could to bring together the diverse people of this land—religious and secular alike. "You have two options: either focus on yourself, or do something better," Hadar once said.
