Hadar is alive, don’t leave Gaza without him, family of kidnapped soldier pleads

The family of 2nd-Lt. Hadar Goldin are holding a press conference outside their home in Kfar Saba, a suburb north of Tel Aviv.

“I am a reserve battalion commander. I did reserve duty until age 50 and I can’t imagine that the IDF will abandon its combat soldier,” Hadar’s father Dr. Simha Goldin says. “My personal commander was [IDF chief of staff] Benny Gantz and I know its impossible that he would give an order to leave [the Gaza Strip] while there’s a soldier inside… I know Givati brigade Commander Ofer Winter. I can’t believe he would forsake an officer anywhere.”

Hadar’s mother Hedva, urges the state of Israel “not to leave Gaza until they bring back our son.”

“He’s our smile,” Hedva says. “He’s the child who saw the good in everything.”

Goldin’s older sister, Ayelet, says that “If a captive soldier is left in Gaza, it’s a defeat,” and calls for Goldin’s return.

“I will do everything for you,” says his brother Menahem.

Goldin’s father tells the press that the military knows what it needs to do — bring his son home.

“We’ve done more complicated things. We made it to Entebbe,” he says, referring to the 1976 rescue operation in Uganda which brought back 102 Israeli hostages.

“Hadar’s alive,” his twin brother, Tsur, says. “He went in alive, he’ll leave alive.”