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Israelis mild the eighth candle of Hanukkah in Hostage Sq. holding placards bearing the face of Ran Gvili in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Dec. 21, 2025, as they name for the return of his stays.
Ilia Yefimovich/AFP by way of Getty Pictures
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Ilia Yefimovich/AFP by way of Getty Pictures
Israel mentioned Monday it recognized the physique of the ultimate Israeli hostage in Gaza and returned it to Israel, paving the best way for the long-awaited subsequent steps in President Trump’s peace plan.
The navy mentioned in an announcement that Ran Gvili, 24, a particular forces policeman, was killed whereas combating militants in the course of the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, assaults. His physique was taken to Gaza by members of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a smaller militant group than Hamas that joined within the assaults.
The navy mentioned it launched a “large-scale operation” for his physique over the weekend in a cemetery in northern Gaza, performing primarily based on intelligence. The method required exhuming the our bodies of deceased Palestinians till the crew, together with dental specialists, recognized Gvili’s stays.
Hamas-led fighters captured 251 hostages in Israel on Oct 7, 2023, based on Israeli authorities.
“We’ve got introduced again Rani Gvili, of blessed reminiscence, a hero of Israel. There aren’t any extra hostages in Gaza,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed the nation’s parliament Monday.
He and different Israeli leaders eliminated a yellow ribbon pin they have been sporting all through the warfare that represented the hostages in Gaza. “All of us wore the pin, and now that the mission has been accomplished, it’s time to take away it,” Netanyahu mentioned.
Israeli troopers proceed search operations for the stays of an Israeli hostage in a mass grave positioned within the Tuffah neighborhood in Gaza Metropolis, Gaza Strip, on Monday. Tanks and heavy equipment belonging to the Israeli military are noticed working within the space in the course of the ongoing excavation and restoration efforts.
Anadolu/Getty Pictures
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Anadolu/Getty Pictures
Hamas-led fighters captured 251 hostages in Israel within the Oct. 7, 2023, assault, based on Israeli authorities. The return of Gvili’s stays is anticipated to mark the top of the primary section of the U.S.-backed ceasefire within the warfare in Gaza.
It might additionally pave the best way for an additional huge step. The Israeli authorities mentioned it will permit Gaza’s border crossing with Egypt to reopen once more for Palestinians to enter and exit. It might mark the primary time for that border to partially open since Could 2024, when Israeli forces took over southern Gaza and the world of Rafah.
The Rafah border is not going to be opened by Israel to permit help to immediately enter from Egypt. Individuals who enter and exit by way of that border shall be permitted solely by Israel after a vetting of names. Worldwide journalists are nonetheless barred from freely coming into Gaza.
Future steps of the ceasefire settlement embrace Hamas laying down its weapons and Israel withdrawing from Gaza — contentious factors over which negotiations haven’t but begun.
Hamas officers have signaled an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza should occur in tandem with Hamas laying down its heavy weapons, akin to rockets.
Talking Monday to Israel’s legislature, Netanyahu insisted the subsequent stage of the peace plan “shouldn’t be reconstruction — the subsequent stage is disarming Hamas and demilitarizing Gaza.”
Most individuals in Gaza are struggling by way of one other wet winter with out sufficient shelter and say they desperately want reconstruction to start, and extra help like tents. A number of infants have died from the chilly in previous weeks, based on hospitals there.
Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem mentioned in an announcement that the invention of the final Israeli physique in Gaza confirmed Hamas’ dedication to the ceasefire’s necessities.
President Trump’s plan additionally says an “worldwide stabilization drive” of troops from varied international locations will deploy to Gaza, retrained Palestinian police would take over safety and a Palestinian technocratic committee would take over governance from Hamas.
Trump celebrated the return of the ultimate Israeli hostage on his social media platform. The president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner additionally welcomed the information, saying he, Trump and U.S. particular envoy Steve Witkoff had labored with the CIA, the Israelis and Palestinians in Gaza to make this attainable.
“For the primary time since 2014 there aren’t any Israeli hostages held in Gaza,” Kushner wrote on X.
Palestinian activists, in the meantime, have accused Israel of constant to carry the our bodies of a whole bunch of useless Palestinians, together with kids.
Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem mentioned Hamas had supplied data to assist find the physique. He mentioned it confirmed confirmed Hamas’ dedication to the ceasefire’s necessities, and now the U.S. ought to press Israel to uphold the ceasefire settlement.
Qassem additionally known as for the Rafah crossing to be opened for help to stream into Gaza, together with medication and cellular housing gear.
Gaza’s Civil Protection rescue companies mentioned hundreds of our bodies of Palestinian civilians stay beneath the rubble of buildings bombed by Israel in additional than two years of warfare, saying their retrieval has been unattainable because of the lack of heavy gear. They known as for heavy gear to retrieve the useless and reconstruction supplies to be introduced by way of the Rafah crossing.
It is a growing story which may be up to date.
Aya Batrawy reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Daniel Estrin and Itay Stern contributed reporting from Tel Aviv, Israel. Ahmed Abuhamda contributed from Cairo.
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