Israel announced the recovery of the last hostage’s remains from Gaza, fulfilling a key requirement to advance the ceasefire agreement with Hamas into its second phase.
Israel confirmed Monday it had recovered the remains of Ran Gvili, the final hostage in Gaza, allowing the ceasefire with Hamas to progress to phase two. The 24-year-old police officer was killed fighting militants during the October 7, 2023, attack that sparked the war. The Israel Defense Forces said “all of the abductees have been returned from the Gaza Strip” after informing Gvili’s family of the recovery.
The development clears the way for implementing the ceasefire’s second phase, which includes creating an international stabilization force and disarming Hamas. During the truce, 20 living hostages and 27 sets of remains were returned to Israel, while hundreds of Palestinian bodies were released to Gaza.
President Trump has warned Hamas of severe consequences if it refuses to disarm as agreed.
Both sides have traded accusations of ceasefire violations since the October 10 truce began, with dozens of Palestinians killed including three journalists. Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said the recovery “confirms Hamas’s commitment to all the terms of the agreement” and called on mediators to compel Israel to stop violations. The war, triggered by the attack that killed 1,200 Israelis, has resulted in over 71,000 Palestinian deaths according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.