The Israeli soldier’s family urges Trump to help recover the body of Hamas’ son

Hadar Goldin, a 23-year-old Israeli soldier for 4,000 days and a grass-bearing artist was caught in ambush and killed by Hamas terrorists during a ceasefire in the United States in Gaza.

His remains have never been returned.

For his mother, Leah Goldin, the passage of time has only aggravated the emergency. In a large interview marking the dark stage, she thanked President Donald Trump and his advisers for their efforts so far-and asked them to ensure that no ceasefire, standardization contract or regional agreement is advancing without the return of her son.

“We turn to and hope that President Trump and his people – who understand this question – will recognize that the real victory over Iran is to bring everyone back to the house immediately and unconditionally. Hadar is a symbol, and the Saudis must make this request on their side, because you cannot speak of standardization while we remain in an anomaly.

Marco Rubio has the first meeting with hostage families held by Hamas

The body of Hadar Goldin has been retained in captivity by Hamas terrorists for 4,000 days. Golddin was killed by the terrorist group, which has held its body as a negotiation currency since. (With kind permission: bring them home now)

“These offers are a bluff – and this selective process is horrible. It kills families and hostages. The more we go without bringing everyone and put an end to this horrible war, the more there will be Goldins Hadar. It is unbearable.”

Hadar Goldin was born into an eminent family of educators and grew up on values of faith, service and compassion. Hadar was known for his gentle character, his net intellect and his deep artistic talent. He had just committed. During his free time, he drew portraits, written poetry and taught for disabled children.

He served in the Elite Givati brigade when, on August 1, 2014, during the protective operation Edge, Hamas violated a cease -fire – agreed a few hours earlier with us and the mediation of the United Nations – by launching a surprise attack. Hadar was killed and dragged into a tunnel inside Gaza.

For her mother, this moment broke not only the world of her family, but also what she calls “the sacred code of the Israeli army”.

“The philosophy of the FDI is never to leave a soldier,” she said. “But on August 28, 2014, Israel signed a ceasefire with Hamas without demanding the return of Hadar. It broke something fundamental.”

Over the past decade, Leah Goldin has met world leaders, legislators and military officials across the United States and Europe, seeking justice to his son and others like him. It underlines resolution 2474 of the United Nations Security Council, adopted in 2019, which obliges all parties to an armed conflict to return the remains of the dead as a humanitarian act and a measure of strengthening confidence.

“It’s international law,” she said. “And yet Hadar is still in Gaza.”

Israel, Hamas speaks of dragging while the president of the aid group tells the UNU to stop acting like the “mafia”

Relatives of hostages are still organized in Gaza, Anthony Rubio, Moshe Lavi, Tzur Goldin, Iair Horn and Ilay David meet the secretary of state Marco Rubio on June 28, 2025 in Washington, DC, DC (The Smarting and Missing Families Forum)

Goldin attributes the Trump administration for taking the problem seriously. “When the resolution passed in 2019, it was the people of Trump – Jason Greenblatt, Nikki Haley – who paved the way,” she said.

Today, Goldin sees a rare opportunity – a convergence of diplomatic efforts with Iran, Saudi Arabia and Gaza – to demand the return of Hadar before the agreements are finalized.

“Saudi Arabia has a huge lever effect,” she said. “They direct the Islamic world. If they want normalization with Israel, let them demand the return of Hadar and all hostages as a gesture of good will.”

She also congratulated Steve Witkoff, a Trump envoy on Iranian and Saudi issues, and urged her to connect the points. “He is in charge of transactions. He knows that the hostages count. Do not say that you finish the company and face the hostages later. It’s immoral.”

File showing a Hamas terrorist participating in a military parade. (Reuters / Ibraheem Abu Mustafa / File photo)

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Golddin says that she has lost her confidence in the Israeli government, what she believes has repeatedly put her son for more political convenience. “These have been the same people for 11 years, just on different chairs,” she said. “They sign ceases, they release terrorists-but leave Hadar behind.”

Since Hamas’ October 7 massacre, Leah and his family have played a new role: advising and supporting the families of current hostages via the Family and disappeared forum, a group they helped build in the days that followed the attack.

“My son Tzur, who also served in special forces, said that no family should go through this alone,” she said. “So we organized – gave them our contacts, our tools, our lessons. But it is painful. Because we have already seen it. And we know how easy it is to be forgotten.”

She calls for negotiations in hostage in progress “a selection nightmare”, where some are prioritized and others left behind. “As the daughter of the Holocaust survivors, it looks like a moral collapse,” she said.

President Donald Trump meets several hostages released from Hamas on March 7. (Hostage families forum)

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Golddin says she will not stop as long as Hadar – and all the hostages – will come home.

“Hadar is not only my son,” she said. “It is a symbol now. And in each ceasefire, in each accord of the back-shop, in every moment” as usual “-I want the world to remember its name.”