Hours after a Hamas source told Al Jazeera that the body of kidnapped IDF officer Lt. Hadar Goldin had been located in the Rafah area, Hamas announces it will return his body at 2pm.
Initially, Israeli officials believed the return of Goldin’s remains might take place Saturday evening, but Hamas has provided no indication of any intention to transfer the fallen soldier’s body to Israel.
Earlier on Saturday, as part of its psychological warfare, the terrorist organization released a video via Al Jazeera showing Hamas operatives alongside Red Cross personnel arriving at a tunnel and retrieving a bag that appears to contain a body.
Before removing the bag from the tunnel, the Hamas operatives affixed a sticker to it with the name “Hadar Golden” written in Hebrew, English, and Arabic.
IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir visited the Goldin family home on Saturday night, sharing with them all of the information the IDF currently has on Hadar.
The IDF stated: "The Chief of Staff met this evening with the Goldin family and updated them on the details known to the IDF at this time. This meeting comes in the context of the close relationship the Chief of Staff has maintained with the family over many years. The Chief of Staff reaffirmed his personal commitment and the IDF’s commitment to bringing Hadar and all fallen hostages home, and emphasized the importance of restraint during these sensitive moments, until his return and the completion of all necessary checks and verifications are completed."
The Goldin family responded: "An entire nation is waiting for Hadar to be returned to us. This is a mission that must and can be accomplished, for all of us. The IDF Chief of Staff came after the conclusion of Shabbat to update us on the tremendous efforts underway to secure the release of the hostages, and we salute everyone involved in this national mission. We are awaiting official confirmation that Hadar has returned to Israel. In this country, we never give up on anyone, ever. We ask everyone to remain calm. Until it is final, it is not over."