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Hamas Has Held Hostage the Bodies of 2 Israeli Soldiers for 5 Years. Enough Is Enough.
(JTA) Arsen Ostrovsky - On Aug. 1, 2014, hours after a humanitarian cease-fire went into effect, Hamas terrorists emerged from a tunnel in Gaza, ambushed an Israel Defense Forces unit, and killed Lt. Hadar Goldin, 23. Hamas took his body and has been holding it hostage in Gaza, treating it as a bargaining chip. Hamas is also keeping the remains of another Israeli soldier killed in the 2014 Gaza war, Oron Shaul, 20. To this day, Hamas refuses to grant the International Committee of the Red Cross access to their remains. Holding the bodies of soldiers killed in action and refusing their return to their next of kin for burial is a flagrant and indisputable violation of the Geneva Conventions and international humanitarian law. The bodies of Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul must be returned to Israel for proper burial immediately, unconditionally and without reservation. Last week, the parents of Hadar Goldin met in Berlin with the U.S. ambassador to Germany, Richard Grenell, who called for the immediate repatriation of Goldin's body while urging those who fund UN Palestinian programs to "demand action." In April 2018, the European Parliament overwhelmingly passed a resolution calling on Hamas to return to Israel the remains of Goldin and Shaul (as well as the civilians Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed).