Brother of fallen hostage Hadar Goldin is optimistic but on guard, fears being left behind again

By Jessica Steinberg

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28 October 2025, 9:50 pm

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Jessica Steinberg, The Times of Israel's culture and lifestyles editor, covers the Sabra scene from south to north and back to the center

Tzur Goldin, third from left, twin brother of Hadar Goldin whose body has been held in Gaza since 2014, with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington, DC in July 2025. (Courtesy)

Tzur Goldin — the twin brother of Hadar Goldin, a Givati Brigade officer who was killed in 2014, with his body still held captive in Gaza — says that Hamas unequivocally knows the location of all 13 remaining hostages in Gaza.

“If the remaining hostages won’t be released in the context of this war, they won’t be released,” Goldin tells The Times of Israel. “Instead of one Hadar Goldin, there will be 13 Hadar Goldins.”

Goldin, a lawyer currently attending the Kennedy School at Harvard University, has been in Washington, DC, over the past few weeks, advocating for the ceasefire and the release of all the hostages.

The family’s deepest concern has been of a repeat of the scenario of 2014, when the Israel-Hamas war known as Operation Protective Edge ended, and Israel and the US put aside the issue of deceased hostages, says Goldin.

“That found us for nine and a half years quite alone on that front,” he says. “We’re petrified of a repetition of this scenario, where it’s left open-ended and the Hamas interest is to hold onto hostages and bleed Israeli society and intimidate families. The main issue is not to close the door.”

Hadar Goldin, left, and his twin brother Tzur Goldin before Hadar was killed and taken captive as a Givati officer during the 2014 war in Gaza, in an undated photo. (Courtesy)

Now, says Goldin, the US and Israeli governments have to pressure Hamas to comply with the ceasefire agreement, given the terror group’s violations and foot-dragging in returning all the remaining deceased hostages. He refers to mechanisms such as sanctions, diplomatic relations, and if necessary, IDF strikes in Gaza — which reportedly took place tonight.

“Hamas doesn’t have an issue with information,” says Goldin, “it has issues with motivation.”

Goldin says the family is hopeful, that they have received signals from US special envoy Steve Witkoff, the Trump administration and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio that they intend to enforce the secure release of all hostages and that the US doesn’t want to legitimize a situation where there will be hostages’ bodies that disappear.

“That will lead us to the abyss,” says Goldin.

“The White House wants the peace process in the Middle East,” he says. “They want to get from stage A to stage B. I’m optimistic but on guard.”