JERUSALEM--Israel has recovered the remains of the last remaining hostage held in Gaza, the military said on Monday, fulfilling a key condition of the initial phase of U.S. President Donald Trump's plan to end the war in the Palestinian territory.
The remains of police officer Ran Gvili - held in Gaza for more than 840 days - have been identified and will be returned for burial, the military said in a statement. The recovery of the remains could pave the way for a limited reopening of the Rafah Crossing between Gaza and Egypt, the devastated enclave's main gateway to the outside world, in line with Israeli pledges.
The Palestinian committee of technocrats backed by the U.S. to administer Gaza has said the border crossing would open this week. A government spokesperson had no immediate comment when asked when the border crossing would be reopened.
Gvili's remains had been held in Gaza since he was killed during Hamas' attack on October 7, 2023, when the Palestinian militant group led an attack on southern Israeli communities, triggering a two-year Israeli offensive. Footage aired on Israeli news channels showed dozens of soldiers arm in arm, purportedly at the site in Gaza where the body was discovered, singing a Hebrew song expressing 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."
"Rani is a hero of Israel, who went in first and he emerged last," he said.
