(AFP) – Hundreds of Israelis gathered Tuesday in the central town of Kfar Saba to lay to rest army officer Hadar Goldin, whose remains were returned by Hamas after being held in Gaza for more than a decade.

Crowds packed the military cemetery, with some climbing onto rooftops to glimpse the funeral, while others watched from plastic chairs in front of a large outdoor screen.

Blue-and-white Israeli flags fluttered in the wind, as mourners held the young lieutenant’s portrait alongside a homemade banner reading: “We will remember forever.”

Israel received Goldin’s remains on Sunday as part of an ongoing Gaza ceasefire deal brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump.

His father, Simcha Goldin, hailed his son as a “Jewish warrior”, while urging tearful mourners to “behave righteously and do n

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