Four weeks after Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire that led to the return of all surviving hostages and most of the deceased, seven bodies remain in Gaza. Their families continue to wait for closure.
Simcha Goldin, father of Hadar Goldin — whose body has been held in Gaza since 2014 — told ynet that Hamas "knows and is capable" of returning the fallen. “Those who don’t bring back fallen soldiers will also abandon the wounded and the living,” he said. “Now is the time to bring them all home.” Goldin said his family draws strength from Hadar’s own words: “You always have something to do. In life, you have two choices: focus on yourself or do great things.”
Mor Godard, whose father Meny was murdered alongside his wife Ayelet on Oct. 7 at Kibbutz Be’eri, said the family is living through agonizing uncertainty. “These are very hard days. On one hand, we’re glad families are able to bury their loved ones — it’s a sad ending, but a necessary one. On the other hand, every time we learn it’s not our father, we break again,” she said.
“We’ve had incredible officers supporting us since Oct. 8,” she added. “They do everything to give us answers, but so much depends on Hamas. Still, I believe with all my heart that my father will come back.”
She shared that she has planned her father’s funeral “about 70 times. I realized I need to wait until it’s real. When he comes back, it will be a painful return — the final stamp on this tragedy — but we need that ending. Waiting for the knock at the door is unbearable. Only then can we begin to heal.”
Bar Rudaeff, son of hostage Lior Rudaeff, said the family has built emotional defenses. “We’ve lowered our expectations to protect ourselves. You can’t hope every day and be disappointed every day — no one can withstand that.”
Bar was informed in March 2024 that his father had been killed. “Now we focus on keeping this issue in the public eye,” he said. “We’ve been fighting for over two years, and we’ve learned to read the signals. We usually know by evening whether it’s relevant to us or not.”
“My father fell defending his kibbutz, his people, his family,” he added. “He fought heroically and died a hero. He deserves to come home and be buried where he grew up, on the land he protected. The fight isn’t over until the last hostage returns.”
Ran Gvili, a 24-year-old officer from Meitar, was killed in battle at Kibbutz Alumim. Before his death, he helped rescue dozens at the Re’im music festival. His mother, Talik Gvili, said the family clings to hope. “We still have a little hope. We hold onto it. There’s no other choice. Every day is a day of waiting. We were promised they’d all come back.”
Talik said the family trusts the state to bring everyone home. “We hope it happens very soon. It’s a crazy situation, and we know patience is required, but we don’t have much left. Nothing else will help us now.”
She draws strength from the importance Israel places on bringing everyone home. “That gives us the strength to get through this awful time. These aren’t posters, they’re people. Each one is an amazing story. We need to lift our heads, because that’s what he would have wanted.”
Elad Or, whose brother Dror was killed on Oct. 7, said the family was told 208 days after the attack that he was no longer alive. “We have to remember Dror, this incredibly kind man,” he said. “Today is hard. It’s the birthday of his wife, Yonat, who was also killed. She should have turned 53 today. This is a day of mourning, of memory, of honoring the dead.”
He called on the public to stand with the families still waiting. “We’ve been told this will be a complex recovery. We’re managing our expectations because the odds in Gaza are slim. Dror might be the last. I hope today’s the day. I hope they all come back today.”
Rintalak, 43, had been working in Israeli agriculture since 2017 to support his elderly parents. He was murdered in an orchard near Kibbutz Be’eri and taken into Gaza. In May 2024, his parents were informed that he had been killed on Oct. 7. “I’ve come to terms with it, but my wife cried,” said his father, Thong-ma. He called on Hamas to release the remaining Thai hostages, adding, “They left Thailand in hopes of escaping poverty for a better life.”