Israel recovers remains of last hostage in Gaza
Israel has confirmed it has recovered and identified the remains of the last hostage held in Gaza, ending a long and painful wait for families and removing a major obstacle to the next stage of the ceasefire with Hamas.
The Israeli military said the body belonged to Ran Gvili, a 24-year-old police officer and Yamam commando who was killed during the Hamas-led attacks on October 7th, 2023. His body was taken into Gaza after his death and had remained unaccounted for even after the ceasefire began.
For weeks, Gvili was the only remaining hostage not returned under the truce. Hamas had agreed to hand over all living and dead hostages within 72 hours of the ceasefire taking effect in October. While 20 living Israeli hostages and the bodies of dozens of others were returned, Hamas said it struggled to locate Gvili’s remains under the rubble.
The Israel Defense Forces said the remains were formally identified by the National Forensics Centre in Tel Aviv and that the family had been informed. In a statement, the IDF said: "According to the information and intelligence available to us, Sgt. Maj. (res.) Ran Gvili ... a Yamam commando fighter, aged 24 at the time of his death, fell in battle on the morning of October 7, 2023, and his body was abducted to the Gaza Strip. The IDF shares in the family's grief. The IDF will continue to accompany the families and the returned hostages and to act to strengthen the security of Israel's citizens. With this, all of the hostages from the Gaza Strip area have been returned."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also confirmed the recovery, as pressure mounted on Israel to move forward with the ceasefire deal. Israel had said on Sunday it launched a large-scale operation to locate Gvili, and previously made clear it would not advance talks on the next phase of the truce until he was found. With that condition now met, Israel says it will partially reopen the Rafah crossing.
The development clears the way for phase two of the ceasefire plan, brokered in part by US President Donald Trump. That stage is expected to focus on Gaza’s reconstruction, the withdrawal of Israeli forces, and the establishment of a transitional authority, alongside the full demilitarisation of the enclave — including the disarmament of Hamas, a major sticking point in negotiations.
Under the first phase of the truce, Israel released thousands of Palestinian prisoners and detainees in exchange for hostages. Delays and accusations of violations on both sides have strained the ceasefire, with continued Israeli strikes and Hamas denials fuelling tensions.
Attention now turns to whether the fragile truce can hold as talks move into the more contentious next phase, which is meant to lay the groundwork for ending the conflict in Gaza.
