In a poignant end to an 11-year ordeal, the remains of Israeli soldier Lt. Hadar Goldin were returned to Israel on Sunday morning, closing one of the nation’s most painful chapters.

Goldin, 23, a platoon commander in the Givati Brigade, was raised in Kfar Saba. He was known for his deep emunah, sharp mind, and artistic talent, and was deeply devoted to learning Torah. He was also an active member and counselor in the Bnei Akiva youth movement. Before his death, he had become engaged to Edna Sarusi.

On August 1, 2014, during Operation Protective Edge, just two hours into a “humanitarian” ceasefire that Israel had sadly agreed to, Hamas terrorists (“surprisingly”) broke the truce. As Goldin led his unit in Rafah, southern Gaza, Hamas fighters suddenly emerged from a tunnel and opened fire. In the ensuing ambush, Goldin and two other soldiers were killed, and Hamas militants dragged Goldin’s body back into the tunnel.

For more than a decade, the Goldin family, along with the entirety of the Jewish nation, waited in anguish, not knowing where his body was hidden and longing to bring him home for a proper Jewish burial.

On Shabbos, Hamas announced it had recovered Goldin’s body from a tunnel in Rafah’s Yabna camp. The following morning, Red Cross officials received the coffin and escorted it to the border, where IDF soldiers saluted as it entered Israel. From there, it was brought to the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute in Tel Aviv.

DNA tests confirmed the identity within hours. “The identification process was immediate and thorough,” said an IDF spokesperson, bringing long-awaited certainty after 4,118 days.

Outside their Kfar Saba home, Simcha and Leah Goldin told supporters, “We brought our son to a Jewish burial. Straightness wins. Goodness wins. At last, you came home.” His sister Ayelet added, “We’ve been waiting for this moment for so long.”

Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu, who kept Goldin’s photo in his office, said at Sunday’s cabinet meeting: “We brought Lt. Hadar Goldin, our son, our fighter, back to be buried in Israel. The agony of the family has finally found rest.”

Four bodies of Israeli hostages remain in Hamas’s hands in Gaza – three of them Jewish. It remains to be seen how much longer Israel will allow Hamas to regroup and rearm dangerously close to its forces in order to avoid jeopardizing the return of the bodies or straining ties with the United States, which brokered the disastrous and dangerous ceasefire deal.