Israel has announced the recovery of the remains of the final Israeli hostage previously unaccounted for in Gaza, marking a significant milestone in the post-ceasefire process with Hamas.
The Israeli military confirmed that the body of Master Sergeant Ran Gvili, a police officer abducted during the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, was retrieved following weeks of intelligence-led search operations.
Gvili had been the last hostage whose whereabouts remained unknown since the ceasefire agreement took effect in October, 2025.
Under the terms of the truce, Hamas was required to return all hostages, both living and deceased, within 72 hours.
While 20 living hostages and the remains of 27 Israeli and foreign captives were handed over within that period, Hamas had maintained that it was unable to locate Gvili’s body until now.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the recovery as a major achievement, saying it fulfilled Israel’s commitment to bring all captives home.
“We promised to return everyone, and we have done so, down to the very last hostage,” Netanyahu said.
Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem said the recovery confirmed the group’s compliance with the ceasefire terms, adding that Hamas remained committed to the agreement.
The development removes a key obstacle to advancing negotiations into the second phase of a US-backed peace framework proposed by President Donald Trump.
That phase is expected to focus on the reconstruction and full demilitarisation of Gaza, including the disarmament of Hamas and other armed groups. Israel had previously declined to move forward until Gvili’s fate was resolved.
In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said intelligence indicated that Gvili, a Yamam commando fighter, was killed in combat on the morning of October 7, 2023, at the age of 24, and that his body was subsequently taken into Gaza.
“The IDF shares in the family’s grief and will continue to support the families of the fallen and returned hostages,” the statement said, adding that all hostages taken from the Gaza area had now been accounted for.
Following the announcement, Israel said it would proceed with plans to reopen Gaza’s main border crossing with Egypt, which had been linked to the completion of the recovery operation.
The October 7, 2023, attack on Israel resulted in the abduction of about 251 people and the deaths of approximately 1,200 others.
Most hostages were later released alive through negotiated exchanges involving 250 Palestinian prisoners and 1,718 detainees from Gaza.
Israel’s subsequent military campaign in Gaza has led to the deaths of at least 71,660 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry.
Israel recovers remains of last Gaza hostage, paving way for next phase of ceasefire
