The weapon of Lt. Hadar Goldin, who was killed and taken captive in Gaza in 2014, has been restored and repaired - and today (Sunday) was returned to his family.
At the same time, a coffin believed to contain his body was transferred this afternoon to the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute for identification, hours after the Hamas terror organization issued an official statement claiming it would release the fallen officer.
The coffin was handed over to the IDF inside the Gaza Strip, then transported into Israel and brought to Abu Kabir, where forensic experts are now working to confirm the identity and determine the circumstances of death.
About three years ago, during a Hamas march marking the 35th anniversary of the group’s founding, terrorists displayed an Israeli Tavor rifle, claiming it belonged to Goldin - even showing its serial number, 42852351.
Lt. Hadar Goldin, an officer in the Givati reconnaissance unit, was kidnapped and killed during Operation Protective Edge in 2014. His body had been held by Hamas in Gaza ever since, until the group’s announcement today that it has released his remains.