The Goldin family demands not to return the body of a Hamas engineer who was assassinated last week in Malaysia until the bodies of the kidnapped soldiers and other civilians held in Gaza are returned,

The family’s request was made to the Coordinator of POWs and MIAs, Yaron Blum, the Coordinator of Activities in the Territories Major-General Yoav Mordechai, and the Military Secretary of Prime Minister Netanyahu, Brigadier-General Eliezer Toledano.

The Hamas engineer, Fadi al-Batsh, was assassinated in Malaysia over the weekend, with Hamas placing the finger of blame on the Mossad. Assassins on a motorcycle opened fire at him as they passed him entering a mosque. Al-Batsh was working on Hamas’ next generation weaponry.

The Goldins, the parents of Lt. Hadar Goldin HY”D, whose remains are being held by Hamas in Gaza, reported learning a mourning tent has already been established for al-Batsh in Gaza. This they explain is proof that Hamas is waiting to host a media-broadcasted funeral for him, and they call on Israel to prevent this for as long as Hamas continues to hold Israeli military personnel and civilians in contradiction to international and humanitarian law.

The Goldins added, “We have made it clear to all those concerned that our position on this issue is clear and unequivocal and that Al-Batash’s body should not be returned for burial in Gaza, and we are convinced that Israel should also turn to Egypt and not allow the body of the terrorist to be transferred through the Rafiach Crossing.”

Minister of Education and Political-Security Cabinet member Naftali Bennet sent a similar message. “Hamas’s military wing member Fdi al-Batsh, who was killed in Malaysia, should not be buried in Gaza before the bodies of Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul are released,” he piped on Twitter and promised to raise the issue to the prime minister.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)