It has been 4,000 days since Hadar Goldin, a 23-year-old Israeli soldier and aspiring artist, was ambushed and killed by Hamas militants during a U.S.-brokered ceasefire in Gaza.
His remains have never been returned.
For his mother, Leah Goldin, the passing of time has only intensified the urgency. In an extensive interview marking this somber milestone, she expressed gratitude to President Donald Trump and his advisors for their previous efforts—and urged them to ensure that no ceasefire, normalization deal, or regional agreement progresses without the return of her son.
“We are appealing to and hoping that President Trump and his team—who understand this situation—will realize that the true victory over Iran lies in bringing everyone home immediately and unconditionally. Hadar stands as a symbol, and the Saudis must make this demand on their end, because one cannot discuss normalization while we remain in this abnormal state.
Goldin says she has lost trust in the Israeli government, which she believes has repeatedly sidelined her son for political convenience. “It’s the same people for 11 years, just in different chairs,” she said. “They sign ceasefires, they release terrorists — but leave Hadar behind.”
Since Hamas’ October 7 massacre, Leah and her family have taken on a new role: advising and supporting the families of current hostages through the Hostage and Missing Families Forum, a group they helped build in the days after the attack.
“My son Tzur, who also served in special forces, said no family should go through this alone,” she said. “So we organized — gave them our contacts, our tools, our lessons. But it’s painful. Because we’ve seen this before. And we know how easy it is to be forgotten.”
She calls the ongoing hostage negotiations “a nightmare of selection,” where some are prioritized and others left behind. “As a daughter of Holocaust survivors, this feels like moral collapse,” she said.
President Donald Trump meets with several hostages freed from Hamas March 7. (Hostage Families Forum)
Goldin says she will not stop until Hadar — and all the hostages — come home.
“Hadar is not just my son,” she said. “He’s a symbol now. And in every ceasefire, in every backroom deal, in every ‘business as usual’ moment — I want the world to remember his name.”
