A battalion gathering was held Sunday evening for the Givati Reconnaissance Unit, led by the Brigade Commander and the Reconnaissance Unit Commander, along with commanders and soldiers from across the unit.
The event served as a moment of emotional closure, marking the return of IDF soldier Hadar Goldin for burial in Israel - over 11 years after he was abducted during Operation Protective Edge.
Addressing the soldiers, the Reconnaissance Unit Commander said, “We fought so that Hadar would be brought back for burial in Israel. This is a powerful and emotional closure, culminating precisely this evening, at this very moment. We’ve just received the official confirmation, and tonight we can finally say what we haven’t been able to until now.”
He continued, “The Recon Unit, the brigade, and many other IDF forces worked tirelessly during combat to bring Hadar, of blessed memory, back for burial in Israel - through complex terrain and under difficult conditions. We paid a heavy price for it.”
“Some of the bereaved families are here tonight, families who lost their loved ones in these very events. We fought above ground and below it. Eleven years and three months - we waited for this moment. It’s deeply moving that it’s happening right now,” he concluded.