British Jews Urge Government to Secure Israeli Officer’s Release

The umbrella group representing British Jews urged the country’s government to do everything in its power to secure the release of Hadar Goldin, an Israeli soldier who may have been born in the United Kingdom and is believed to be captured by Hamas.

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Goldin, a 23-year-old second lieutenant in the Israel Defense Forces, went missing on Friday in the Rafah region amid exchanges of heavy fire between Hamas militants and IDF troops that erupted an hour and a half after the 8 A.M. start of a cease-fire brokered by the United Nations and the United States.

“The Board of Deputies of British Jews on behalf of the U.K. Jewish community, would like to express our dismay and revulsion at the kidnapping of Israeli soldier Hadar Goldin,” the board wrote, adding: “We earlier stated that according to media reports he might be British-Israeli but we have not managed to verify that fact."

According to the Israeli Army Radio, the hostilities broke out after a powerful explosion of a charge that was strapped to a suicide bomber. Additional Hamas fighters engaged Israeli troops and possibly abducted Goldin. Two Israeli soldiers were killed in the engagement.

“We urge the government to show its support for the Goldin family and to speak out against this deplorable act by the terrorist group Hamas and do everything in its power to secure his release,” the board wrote.