The body of deceased Israeli hostage, said to be of Israeli army officer Hadar Goldin whose body was taken hostage in Gaza in 2014, arrived at Israel’s forensic institute on Sunday (November 9).

Goldin, an officer in the Israeli military, was killed by Palestinian militants in an ambush in Rafah in the 2014 Israel-Hamas war.

Under October's ceasefire deal, Hamas turned over all 20 living hostages held in Gaza since the group's attack on Israel, in return for nearly 2,000 Palestinian convicts and wartime detainees held in Israel.

The ceasefire agreement also included the return of the remains of 28 deceased hostages in exchange for the remains of 360 militants.

So far, 23 hostage bodies have been returned in exchange for 300 bodies of Palestinians, though not all have been identified, according to Gaza's health authorities.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

TEL AVIV, ISRAEL (NOVEMBER 9, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

1. PEOPLE STANDING, HOLDING FLAGS, WAITING FOR CONVOY

2. (SOUNDBITE) (English) FORMER COMRADE OF ISRAELI ARMY OFFICER HADAR GOLDIN, HANANI CORNEY, SAYING:

"So, after 11 years, hopefully, really hopefully, there's not some propaganda, and we've actually got our friend, our teammate, from the army, who's come back to be buried in Israel. Really excited. We've got conflicting feelings, but we hope for him to be brought to be buried in Israel, as it should have happened 11 years ago. We're very excited, and we're waiting here for the final decision, the final confirmation that it's actually Hadar Goldin."

3. FRIEND OF HADAR GOLDIN'S FAMILY, RACHEL ZINKIN

4. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE HOLDING BANNERS WITH THE PHOTO OF ISRAELI ARMY OFFICER HADAR GOLDIN

5. FRIEND OF HADAR GOLDIN'S FAMILY, RACHEL ZINKIN

6. (SOUNDBITE) (English) FRIEND OF HADAR GOLDIN'S FAMILY, RACHEL ZINKIN, SAYING:

"We are here to make sure, to know whether Hadar Goldin is the body that was brought here to Abu Qabir. Hopefully, it is him. Hadar was abducted 11 years ago during a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. And since then, Hamas is holding him. And we pray and we hope that this saga is at an end now and that we can move on to a better place."

7. OFFICERS SALUTING / VEHICLE CARRYING BODY OF DECEASED ARRIVING AT NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FORENSIC MEDICINE

8. VEHICLE ENTERING THE NATIONAL CENTRE OF FORENSIC MEDICINE