Hadar Goldin
Lt. Hadar Goldin was an IDF officer in the Givati Brigade who was killed and abducted by Hamas during a UN-brokered ceasefire in the 2014 Operation Protective Edge. His remains were held in Gaza for over a decade until their return to Israel for burial in November 2025.
Lt. Hadar Goldin is a symbol of national resilience and the ongoing struggle against Hamas's policy of holding Israeli remains as bargaining chips. On August 1, 2014, during Operation Protective Edge, Goldin's unit was attacked by Hamas terrorists emerging from a tunnel in Rafah, shortly after a humanitarian ceasefire had begun. Goldin was killed in the engagement, and his body was dragged into the tunnel network. For years, the Goldin family led a high-profile public campaign for the return of Hadar and fellow soldier Oron Shaul, emphasizing the moral obligation of the state to bring its fallen soldiers home. In November 2025, his remains were finally repatriated to Israel for a military burial. Recent IDF operations in southern Gaza have focused on neutralizing the infrastructure associated with his abduction. In June 2026, the IDF Southern Command and Yahalom unit completed the permanent sealing of the 16-kilometer tunnel complex in Rafah where Goldin was held. This operation required 30,000 cubic meters of concrete to ensure the facility—which served as a Hamas strategic command center—could never be used again. Beyond the physical site, Goldin's name remains a benchmark in Israeli security discourse; military officials frequently cite the 'Hadar Goldin' event as a cautionary precedent when discussing the risks of kidnapping during ceasefire transitions, such as those currently being navigated on the northern front with Hezbollah.