Former partner of fallen soldier Goldin: ‘I am still his fiancé, even if I have a new life too’

Edna Sarussi, the fiancé of fallen soldier Hadar Goldin, says she will forever remain his betrothed, despite also having moved on, married and had a child.

Months after proposing to Sarussi in 2014, Goldin was killed in that year’s Gaza war and his body was abducted, along with that of soldier Oron Shaul. Goldin’s body was handed over to Israel last week under the terms of the ceasefire with Hamas and a funeral was held for him. Shaul’s was previously recovered from Gaza in an IDF operation.

Sarussi married in 2021 and now has a young child. She spoke at Goldin’s service last week.

“I am still his fiancé,” she tells Channel 13 in an interview. “And it’s true I have a new life too, but he’s part of them and he’s part of me. The love is eternal. Love does not end at some point.”

Sarussi says there is a great sense of relief at Goldin’s return. “Hadar needed to come home, and he came back. He can rest now. He’s not in their hands anymore, he’s with us,” she says.

She adds that he has continued to have a great effect on her life in the past decade. “I feel like there’s even a responsibility, in being his choice — I can’t let him down. It’s part of who I am today. I carry this loss with me,” she says.