Remains of Meni Goddard Repatriated to Israel

Identification Completed

Bringing a somber conclusion to a tragic chapter, the remains of Meni Goddard, who was abducted during the October 7 attacks, have been repatriated to Israel. Representatives from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that the identification process was completed in collaboration with the National Center of Forensic Medicine, the Israel Polstart, and the Military Rabbinate. The announcement was made last night, confirming the return of Goddard’s remains to his family.

Government Response

In a government statement, officials expressed their heartfelt condolences to the Goddard family and to all families of fallen hostages. “The Government of Israel shares the profound sorrow of the Goddard family and all families of fallen hostages. The government and the entire system of representative affairs in Israel are determined, committed, and tirelessly working to return all of our fallen hostages for a proper burial in their homeland. May his memory be a blessing,” the statement read.

Legacy of Support

Meni Goddard, 73, was a passionate supporter of Hapoel Tel Aviv. In remembrance of the hostages, just months ago, a project titled “The Empty Chair” was featured, where family members of the abducted returned to the stands of Tel Aviv’s Bloomfield Stadium-their loved starts’ favorite place-since that fateful day when they were taken. During the event, Meni’s daughter, Bar Goddard, reunited with Hapoel Tel Aviv players, Omri Altman and Ziv Morgan.

Reflecting on the aftermath of the October 7 attacks, Bar shared, “When we first returned to my parents’ house, it was completely burnt down and nothing remained. However, the only thing left was a stainless steel emblem of Hapoel that was embedded in the entrance, which we removed and transferred to our new home.”

Incident Background

On October 7, a group of armed militants infiltrated Kibbutz Be’eri, which was left vulnerable aside from the heroic members of the emergency response team who fought tirelessly for hours until they were overwhelmed. During the invasion, the assailants broke into Meni and his wife Ayelet’s home, tragically killing both and abducting Meni’s body to Gaza. Currently, three hostages are still unaccounted for in the Gaza Strip.