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Middle East conflict

Israel identifies returned remains of its soldier taken hostage in 2014

Lt. Hadar Goldin fell in battle and was taken hostage in 2014, during Operation Protective Edge

TEL AVIV, November 9. /TASS/. The remains of a hostage that were returned from Gaza on Sunday have been identified as an Israeli soldier who was abducted in 2014, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said.

"Following the completion of the identification process by the National Center of Forensic Medicine, in cooperation with the Israel Police and the IDF (Israel Defense Forces - TASS) Rabbinate, IDF representatives informed the family of fallen hostage Lt. Hadar Goldin that their loved one has been returned to Israel and that his identification has been completed," it said. "Lt. Hadar Goldin fell in battle and was taken hostage in 2014, during Operation Protective Edge."

The Prime minister’s office said earlier in the day that the Israeli military had received a coffin with remains of an Israeli hostage. The coffin was handed over to Red Cross medics in the Gaza Strip and taken to Israel where the remains were identified.

Israel and Hamas resumed Egypt-, Qatar-, United States-, and Turkey-mediated indirect talks on settling the situation in the Gaza Strip on October 6. On October 9, the parties to the conflict signed an agreement on the implementation of phase one of US President Donald Trump’s Gaza ceasefire plan. The ceasefire came into effect on October 10. On October 13, Hamas and other Palestinian groups released all 20 living hostages and handed over the bodies of four deceased hostages under the Gaza ceasefire deal. The Israeli side expressed resentment that Hamas returned only four out of 28 bodies of deceased hostages. Later, Hamas transferred several more bodies to Israel. By now, Hamas has returned the remains of 24 deceased hostages and continue holding fou more bodies.

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