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Israel retrieves final missing hostage from Gaza
The Israeli military announced on Monday it had recovered the body of Master Sgt. Ran Gvili, the last remaining hostage held in Gaza, nearly four months after a ceasefire with Hamas took effect.
Ceasefire terms and delays
Under the October agreement, Hamas was required to return all hostages-both living and deceased-within 72 hours. While 20 Israeli hostages were released alive and 27 bodies repatriated, Hamas claimed it could not locate Gvili until now.
The Israeli government had conditioned the reopening of Gaza's Rafah border crossing with Egypt on Gvili's recovery, which was completed over the weekend.
Political and military reactions
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the retrieval as "an extraordinary achievement," stating, "We promised to bring everyone back. We brought them all back, down to the very last captive."
"We promised-and I promised-to bring everyone back. We brought them all back, down to the very last captive."
Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister
Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said the discovery "confirms Hamas's commitment to all the requirements of the ceasefire agreement."
Next steps in peace process
The recovery clears the path for the second phase of U.S. President Donald Trump's peace plan, which calls for Gaza's reconstruction and full demilitarization, including the disarmament of Hamas and other Palestinian factions. Israel had refused to proceed until Gvili's body was found.
Background and toll of the conflict
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated that Gvili, a 24-year-old commando with the elite Yamam unit, was killed in action on October 7, 2023, during the Hamas-led attack that triggered the war. His body was later taken to Gaza.
"According to the information and intelligence available to us, Sgt. Maj. (res.) Ran Gvili... fell in battle on the morning of October 7, 2023, and his body was abducted to the Gaza Strip."
Israel Defense Forces statement
The IDF expressed condolences to Gvili's family and reiterated its commitment to supporting returned hostages and strengthening national security.
The October 7 attack resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 Israelis and the abduction of 251 hostages. Most were released over the following two years in exchange for 250 Palestinian prisoners and 1,718 detainees from Gaza.
Israel's subsequent military campaign in Gaza has killed 71,660 Palestinians, according to figures from the Hamas-run health ministry.
