Mother of Slain Israeli Soldier Hadar Goldin Pleads with Trump After 4,000 Days

In a heart-wrenching milestone, Leah Goldin marks 4,000 days since her son, Hadar Goldin, a 23-year-old Israeli soldier and talented artist, was killed by Hamas terrorists during a U.S.-brokered ceasefire in Gaza. His remains, tragically, have yet to be returned. For Leah, this prolonged agony fuels a desperate plea to President Donald Trump and his administration to ensure that no ceasefire, normalization deal, or regional agreement advances without bringing Hadar home.

Leah’s voice carries the weight of a mother’s unending grief as she urges, "The real victory over Iran is to bring everyone home immediately and unconditionally." She sees Hadar as a symbol of unresolved pain, insisting that nations like Saudi Arabia must demand his return as a prerequisite for any talk of normalization. To her, pursuing peace while families remain in limbo is a hollow gesture—an abnormality that cannot be ignored.

Hadar’s story is one of promise cut short. Born into a family of educators, he embodied compassion and creativity, engaging in art, poetry, and teaching children with disabilities. Engaged to be married, his future was bright until that fateful day in 2014 during Operation Protective Edge. Hamas violated a freshly mediated ceasefire, ambushing Hadar and dragging his body into a Gaza tunnel—a betrayal not just of peace, but of the Israeli military’s sacred code to never leave a soldier behind.

Over the past decade, Leah has tirelessly lobbied world leaders and invoked international law, including a 2019 U.N. Security Council resolution demanding the return of remains as a humanitarian act. Yet, her son remains in Gaza. She credits the Trump administration for past efforts and now sees a critical window with ongoing diplomatic maneuvers involving Iran and Saudi Arabia to finally secure justice. "Don’t finalize deals and leave hostages for later—that’s immoral," she warns, pointing to Trump envoy Steve Witkoff as a key figure in this fight.

Leah’s distrust in her own government runs deep, accusing Israeli leaders of prioritizing political convenience over her son’s return. Since the October 7 Hamas massacre, she and her family have also supported other hostage families, sharing hard-learned lessons while grappling with the fear of being forgotten once more. For Leah, Hadar is more than a personal loss—he’s a reminder to the world that no deal, no ceasefire, should proceed without accounting for every life lost or held captive.