The IDF announced Tuesday afternoon that it had destroyed the tunnel shaft from which Lt. Hadar Goldin was abducted in 2014, just hours after his burial in Israel. The shaft was demolished Sunday by forces from the Nahal Brigade’s combat team, shortly after Hamas returned Goldin’s body following nearly 11 and a half years.
Goldin was killed and abducted during Operation Protective Edge in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. His family fought a years-long public and diplomatic campaign to secure the return of his remains. On Tuesday morning, thousands attended his funeral at the Kfar Saba military cemetery. The procession began at Camp Shura, the military facility where his body was identified. Goldin was 23 at the time of his death. He is survived by his parents, Simcha and Leah; his sister, Ayelet; and his brothers, Chami and twin brother Tzur.
After 11 years, the shaft from which Hadar Goldin was kidnapped was destroyed
(Video: IDF Spokesperson)
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The tunnel shaft from which Hadar Goldin was kidnapped has been destroyed
(Photo: IDF Spokesperson)
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, who assisted in covering the grave, eulogized Goldin at the ceremony. “Hadar fell in battle in Rafah alongside his commander, Maj. Benaya Sarel, and fellow soldier, Staff Sgt. Liel Gidoni, at the end of Operation Protective Edge,” Zamir said. “Now the circle is closed — the operation has come to an end. Leah and Simcha, Tzur, Chami, Ayelet, and Edna, an entire nation walked with you through this painful journey for Hadar’s return.”
Turning to the family, Zamir continued, “An entire nation has become a ‘Masder Hadar’ — Hadar’s formation. This moment contains thousands of days of waiting and deep sorrow, the moment to which all prayers were directed for over 11 years. With a salute and bowed heads, we accompany Hadar on his final journey — the one he deserved long ago. You, his beloved family, have become a compass and a moral beacon for all of Israel, a compass we in the IDF will continue to carry forever.”
Col. Netanel Shamkeh, commander of the Givati Brigade, also spoke at the funeral. “Hadar, you were the best of the best,” he said. “You had a unique combination of helping others and being a true professional. You fell in the final days of combat with your comrades. Since then, we’ve raised a generation inspired by you. In every commanders’ course, we spoke of your spirit, your responsibility, integrity, and professionalism. We’ve now closed the Protective Edge chapter. The brigade never gave up — not on Hadar, not on the family, and not on the values that no soldier is left behind.”