Deaths of Oron Shaul and Hadar Goldin

Overview

During the 2014 Gaza War, Hamas captured two Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers, Oron Shaul and Hadar Goldin, and held their bodies for an extended period. Both men are understood to have died at or near the time of their capture; their remains were the subject of years of negotiation between Israel and Hamas before eventually being returned to Israel in 2025.

Oron Shaul

On July 20, 2014, during the Battle of Shuja'iyya, Hamas fired an anti-tank missile at an IDF armored personnel carrier carrying seven soldiers, including Shaul. Hamas quickly claimed to have captured him, citing his photo ID and credentials as proof. Israel's UN ambassador, Ron Prosor, initially denied that any soldier had been captured. The claim of capture prompted celebrations among Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, according to contemporaneous reporting, and Hamas television broadcast celebratory programming referencing the incident. By July 22, Israeli spokespeople began questioning the capture claim, and on July 25, Israel confirmed that Shaul had been killed in action. The IDF later confirmed his body had not been identified among those found in the destroyed vehicle.

Hadar Goldin

On August 1, 2014, during a 72-hour ceasefire, Givati Brigade Lieutenant Hadar Goldin was reportedly part of an operation to decommission a militant tunnel near Rafah. Hamas militants emerged from a tunnel, attacked the patrol, killed two other soldiers, and took Goldin's body back into Rafah through the tunnel. Each side accused the other of breaking the ceasefire. Israel initially believed Goldin had been abducted alive but later determined he had been killed; the IDF Rabbinate declared him deceased for burial and mourning purposes, and remains believed to be his were buried at the time.

Efforts to return the bodies

Following the 2014 war, Israeli officials, including then-Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon, engaged with the Shaul and Goldin families and pursued negotiations with Hamas, including proposed prisoner exchanges, to recover the soldiers' remains. These negotiations continued for years and became especially prominent again after the October 7, 2023 attacks and subsequent Gaza war, during which the families advocated for their sons to be formally recognized among hostages and campaigned internationally, including meetings in Geneva with UN and Red Cross officials.

Recovery

On January 19, 2025, Israeli special forces, working with the IDF and Shin Bet, recovered Shaul's body from the Gaza Strip shortly before a ceasefire took effect. His remains were identified at the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute and he was buried in Poria Illit, with President Isaac Herzog delivering a eulogy.

Goldin's body was located and returned later in 2025. On November 8–9, 2025, during a Gaza ceasefire, a Red Cross and Hamas team searched Rafah and recovered his body from a tunnel; it was transferred to the IDF, identified at Abu Kabir, and he was buried at Kfar Saba military cemetery on November 11, 2025, with IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir delivering a eulogy.