Lieutenant Hadar Goldin’s family has campaigned for the last 11 years to have him returned for burial, but this only came to pass on Sunday.
Hadar’s family described him as a people person, which helped him in his role as a platoon commander in the Givati Brigade's Reconnaissance Battalion, where he was serving when Operation Protective Edge began in 2014. Born in 1991 to Simha Goldin, a lecturer at Tel Aviv University, and Dr. Leah Goldin, a computer scientist, Hadar grew up in a relatively large, national-religious family. Along with his twin brother, Tzur, Hadar was the youngest of six children.
In June of 2014, Hamas kidnapped and murdered Eyal Yifrach, Gilad Shaer, and Naftali Fraenkel, three hitchhiking Israeli teens, sparking a war between Israel and Hamas.
On August 1, the US and UN announced that a ceasefire had been reached between Israel and Hamas, which would have allowed the IDF to continue dismantling certain Hamas tunnels.
That very morning, Hadar was operating with his unit in Rafah. While working to dismantle a tunnel, Hamas terrorists, in breach of the US and UN-brokered ceasefire announced only hours earlier, emerged from the tunnel, shooting two soldiers and taking Hadar captive.
At first, all signs pointed to Hadar being alive, but within days, the IDF announced that he had been killed before he was taken.
The Military Rabbinate decided that the matter was clear enough to hold a funeral, and despite his being held in Gaza, partial remains were buried in a funeral attended by thousands of Israelis.
There, he was eulogized by many, including his commander, parents, and fiancée, Edna Sarusi, whom he had been set to marry only months after his murder.
A lifelong artist, Hadar’s family described him as “an accomplished painter and graphic artist”, even showcasing some of his art on the website dedicated to his release. In an attempt to raise awareness about his fate, his art was exhibited in the years after his murder and kidnapping, including at the UN building in New York City.
After his death was announced, Hadar’s family launched a campaign to recover him. The Hadar Goldin Foundation, established with the goal of “supporting the efforts of bringing Hadar home from the hands of Hamas”, has been lobbying to have Hadar brought back for almost a decade.
Push to free Hadar Goldin resumes in wake of October 7
On October 7, 2023, Hadar’s cause gained new traction with the Israeli public as the hostage crisis was thrust to the forefront of public consciousness.
At first, Hadar, along with several others who had been held for years, weren’t counted by the IDF as hostages held by Hamas. “They didn’t count us,” is how Hadar’s mother, Leah, described their treatment by the government to The Jerusalem Post last year.
Although there were several hostage deals throughout the two-year war, Hadar was never listed among those set to be returned, despite massive pressure from his family and others who campaigned for his return. In September 2025, as US President Donald Trump’s peace deal was agreed upon by Israel and Hamas, Hadar was counted among the remaining hostages who were set to be freed.
Eve Young contributed to this report.