Brig. Gen. Ofer Winter published an emotional post on his Facebook page shortly after the funeral of Staff Sergeant Hadar Goldin on Tuesday.
In the post Winter wrote about his feelings since that day of combat in Operation Protective Edge when Goldin was killed in action and his body captured in Gaza, and about the personal closure in returning his body.
"There are moments in life whose description in words would only diminish their power," Winter began. "Amid all the commotion and among all the eulogies, in mixed feelings of joy at your return and sorrow at the loss, I go back in time to that Friday - to your final battle and that of the Purple Brigade in Operation Protective Edge. To the mission I sent you on, but from which I was unable to bring you back alive." The moniker of the Purple Brigade is used to describe the unique purple berets worn by the Givati Brigade.
Winter recalled the moments when Goldin's abduction became clear. "On the last Friday of the operation, a ceasefire was declared and it seemed the campaign was coming to an end. This ceasefire was ended by an attack by Hamas, who violated the agreement. In the absence of line of sight they managed to abduct Hadar into the tunnel. We declared on the radio 'Hannibal' - the code word that says: there is a soldier abducted, action must be taken by all means at our disposal and with all the force required to bring Hadar back."
The Hannibal protocol is rumored, but not confirmed, to include stopping the capture of an Israeli soldier by every possible means, even including endangering or killing the soldier in question. The actual protocol itself is kept highly classified, and it is believed that there exist several versions. Each is slightly different from the next due to it occasionally being transmitted verbally to prevent producing written documentation of its contents, leading to slight alterations along the way.
He described the heavy fighting the brigade conducted under his command: "In a race against time, below and above ground, we tried to catch up with the kidnappers. It was a battle of heroism, devotion, and sacrifice, of soldiers who risked their lives for comrades and at personal risk. After hours of fighting the picture became clear - Hadar was no longer among the living. Nevertheless, we continued searching for three days."
About the moment of returning Goldin, Winter wrote: "After 11 years, with God's help, this is happening. Today, we accompany Hadar for the last time. On Sunday, my final mission as commander was completed - I crossed the fence into Gaza again and was privileged to take part in the military ceremony in which Hadar was transferred from Hamas to our forces. Thanks to you, the soldiers, we reached this hour. You are the generation of victory - our collective hope for a better future."
"Leah, Simcha, the dear Goldin family - you taught us all strength, determination, and perseverance. You fought for Hadar's return and for the moral character of Israeli society and the IDF. Hadar, your image is engraved in my mind and has accompanied me since that event. I salute you as an officer, commander, and beloved and admired soldier. Rest in peace," he concluded.