Israel retrieves remains of last Gaza hostage

2026-01-26 - 14:59

Israelis light the 8th candle of Hanukkah in Hostage Square, holding placards bearing the face of Ran Gvili in Tel Aviv, as they call for the return of his remains. (AFP pic) JERUSALEM: Israel has retrieved the remains of the last remaining hostage held in Gaza, the military said today, fulfilling a key condition of the initial phase of US President Donald Trump’s plan to end the Gaza war. “The remains of police officer Ran Gvili have been identified and will be returned for burial,” the military said in a statement. Israel has said that it will reopen Gaza’s Rafah border crossing with Egypt, the enclave’s main gateway to the world, once Gvili’s remains are returned, or the search operation for his body concludes. Gvili had been held in Gaza since he was killed at Kibbutz Alumim during Hamas’ attack on southern Israel on Oct 7, 2023. Hamas and Israel agreed to a ceasefire in October under pressure from regional powers and Trump, who called the deal a first step toward a “strong, durable and everlasting peace”.