Leah Goldin: Israel must not sign ceasefire without return of captives

The mother of IDF soldier Hadar Goldin, whose body has been held by the Hamas terror group since he was killed in Gaza in 2014, says Israel should not reach a ceasefire with Hamas unless the agreement includes the return of Israeli captives.

“We must not sign a ceasefire without the return of our boys,” Leah Goldin tells Channel 12 news.

IDF soldiers Goldin and Oron Shaul were killed in the summer 2014 war with Hamas, while civilian Avera Mengistu was captured after he entered Gaza of his own accord in the same year. Mengistu reportedly suffers from mental health issues. Hisham al-Sayed, a second civilian, entered the Strip in 2015.

Goldin recently accused Israel’s leaders of deceiving and misleading the families for years while doing little to pressure Hamas to give back the bodies.

Clockwise from top left: Avera Mengistu, Hisham al-Sayed, Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul. (Flash 90/Times of Israel)