Israel recovers body of last Gaza hostage, clearing path for next phase of Trump peace plan

Israel’s military announced that it has recovered the body of the final hostage held in Gaza, a development Israeli officials say clears the way for the next phase of President Donald Trump’s ceasefire and post-war framework.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it retrieved the remains of Master Sgt. Ran Gvili following a targeted search operation near Gaza City. Gvili had been missing since the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, and was the last hostage not returned after the ceasefire with Hamas took effect in October.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the recovery as a major milestone, saying Israel had fulfilled its commitment to bring every captive home, reports the BBC.

“We promised — and I promised — to bring everyone back,” Netanyahu said. “We brought them all back, down to the very last captive.”

According to the IDF, updated intelligence over the weekend led forces to search a cemetery located near the so-called Yellow Line, an area that remains under Israeli control as part of the ceasefire agreement. A military official said the clarification of intelligence made the operation possible.

Hamas confirmed that it had provided mediators with information about Gvili’s location. Spokesman Hazem Qassem said the group had kept mediators informed and claimed the recovery demonstrated Hamas’s compliance with the ceasefire terms.

The IDF said Gvili, a Yamam commando fighter, was killed during fighting on the morning of October 7 and that his body was taken into Gaza. He was 24 years old at the time of his death.

"The IDF shares in the family’s grief,” the military said in a statement. “With this, all of the hostages from the Gaza Strip area have been returned.”

Under the ceasefire agreement, Hamas was required to return all hostages, living and deceased, within 72 hours. Twenty living hostages and the bodies of 27 others were handed over earlier, leaving only Gvili unaccounted for until now.