Israel has recovered the remains of the last remaining hostage held in Gaza, the army said on Monday. This fulfills an important condition of the first phase of US President Donald Trump’s plan to end the war on Palestinian territory.
The remains of police officer Ran Gvili – who was held in Gaza for more than 840 days – have been identified and will be returned for burial, the army said in a statement.
The recovery of the remains could pave the way for a limited reopening of the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt, the devastated enclave’s main gateway to the outside world, in line with Israeli promises.
The Palestinian committee of technocrats, backed by the US to govern Gaza, said the border crossing would open this week.
In a statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the border crossing would reopen once the recovery operation was complete, but did not provide a timeline.
Gvili’s remains have been held in Gaza since he was killed during the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, when the Palestinian militant group led an attack on southern Israeli communities, sparking a two-year Israeli offensive.
Footage broadcast on Israeli news channels showed dozens of soldiers arm in arm, allegedly at the site in Gaza where the body was discovered, singing a Hebrew song expressing Jewish hope and faith.
Another image from Gaza showed what appeared to be a coffin draped with the Israeli flag, surrounded by soldiers. In posts on social media on Monday, Gvili’s mother Talik called her son a hero.
Gvili was off duty on October 7, recovering from an injury, when he was killed in the battle against Gaza militants.
Speaking to Knesset reporters, Netanyahu described the discovery of Gvili’s remains as an “incredible achievement for the State of Israel.”
Next phase of the deal
Gvili was one of 251 hostages captured by militants during the October 7, 2023, attack and taken to Gaza. At the time of the ceasefire agreed by Israel and Hamas in October, 48 hostages remained in Gaza, 28 of whom were presumed dead, including Gvili.
Handing over all remaining living and dead hostages was a core obligation of the first phase of the deal, although other parts have not been fulfilled and there is deep division over what comes next.
Before Gvili’s body was found, the Trump administration announced that the US-led plan to end the war would move on to the next phase, which was intended to include rebuilding Gaza and demilitarizing the territory.
In a statement, Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said the discovery of Gvili’s remains confirms Hamas’ commitment to the plan.
“We will continue to uphold all aspects of the agreement, including facilitating the work of the Gaza National Government and ensuring its success,” Qassem said.
The Hamas-led attack in October 2023 killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli figures. The Israeli attack has since killed at least 71,000 Palestinians, Gaza health authorities say.
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