Israel announced on Monday that it has successfully recovered the remains of the last hostage who had been held in Gaza. This development marks a significant step in the initial phase of former U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to end the conflict in the Palestinian region.
The remains identified as those of police officer Ran Gvili, who had been held captive in Gaza for over 840 days, will be returned for burial, according to a statement from the military.
This recovery could facilitate the partial reopening of the Rafah Crossing between Gaza and Egypt, Gaza’s primary link to the outside world, as promised by Israeli authorities.
A U.S.-backed Palestinian committee of technocrats, appointed to oversee Gaza, has indicated that the border crossing is scheduled to open this week. However, a government spokesperson declined to provide specific details about the reopening timeline.
Gvili was killed during a Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, which targeted southern Israeli communities and sparked a two-year Israeli military campaign.
Israeli news channels broadcast footage of soldiers standing together at the site in Gaza where Gvili’s body was found, singing a Hebrew song that symbolizes Jewish hope and faith.
Another image from Gaza showed what appeared to be a casket draped in the Israeli flag, surrounded by soldiers. In social media posts 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 fighting the Gaza militants.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, speaking to reporters at the Knesset, described the discovery of Gvili’s remains as an “unbelievable achievement for the State of Israel”.
Next phase of the deal
Gvili was one of the 251 hostages seized and taken to Gaza by militants during the October 7, 2023 attack. At the time of a ceasefire deal that Israel and Hamas agreed in October, 48 hostages remained in Gaza, 28 of them believed dead, including Gvili.
Handing over all the remaining living and dead hostages was a core commitment of the first phase of the deal, though other parts have not been fulfilled and there are huge splits over what comes next.
Before Gvili’s body had been found, the Trump administration announced that the US-led plan to end the war would move on to its next phase, which is meant to include reconstruction of Gaza and demilitarization of the territory.
In a statement, Hamas spokesperson 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 national Gaza administration and ensuring its success,” Qassem said.
The Hamas-led attack in October 2023 killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies. Israel’s assault has since killed at least 71,000 Palestinians, Gaza’s health authorities say.
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