Netanyahu Says All Hostages Brought Home After Recovery of Final Remains in Gaza

Israel’s military announced on Monday that it has recovered and identified the remains of Ran Gvili, the last hostage still believed to be held in Gaza. The development removes a major obstacle to advancing the next stage of the ceasefire that halted the Israel-Hamas war.

The confirmation came a day after Israeli authorities acknowledged that troops were carrying out a large-scale search operation in a cemetery in northern Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the recovery as a major accomplishment, saying Israel had fulfilled its pledge to bring all hostages home. He noted that Gvili, who was killed during the Hamas-led assault on October 7, 2023, was among the first people taken into Gaza during the attack that triggered the war.

The issue of returning all remaining hostages, whether alive or deceased, has been central to the first phase of the ceasefire. Gvili’s family had publicly urged the government not to move forward with the second phase until his remains were found and returned. Following the recovery, Netanyahu’s office said Israel would reopen the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt, viewed by Palestinians as a critical gateway to the outside world. The crossing has largely remained closed since May 2024, with only a brief reopening in early 2025.

Israel and Hamas have faced mounting pressure from ceasefire mediators, including the United States, to proceed to the next phase of the truce, which took effect on October 10. Israeli officials had repeatedly accused Hamas of delaying the handover of information about the final hostage. Hamas, in turn, claimed it had shared all available details regarding Gvili’s remains and blamed Israel for obstructing searches in areas under Israeli military control. The Israeli army said the operation took place near the so-called Yellow Line dividing the territory.

The October 7, 2023 attack resulted in about 1,200 deaths and the abduction of 251 people. Gvili, a 24-year-old police officer known to friends and family as Rani, was killed while fighting Hamas militants. Prior to the latest recovery, Israel had received 20 living hostages and the remains of 27 others since the ceasefire began, most recently in early December. In exchange, Israel returned the bodies of hundreds of Palestinians to Gaza.

Plans outlined in the next phase of the ceasefire include the deployment of an international stabilization force, the establishment of a technocratic Palestinian administration, and the disarmament of Hamas.

Meanwhile, violence has continued despite the truce. On Monday, Israeli forces fatally shot a man in Gaza City’s Tuffah neighborhood, according to Shifa Hospital, which said he was near the area where the search operation was underway. Another man was killed in the eastern part of the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza, Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital reported, though details surrounding his death were unclear.

Gaza’s Health Ministry said more than 480 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since October 10. The ministry, which operates under the Hamas-led administration, keeps detailed casualty data that the United Nations and independent experts generally consider reliable.

Separately, the Foreign Press Association asked Israel’s Supreme Court on Monday to permit journalists to enter Gaza freely and without military supervision. The group, which represents dozens of international media outlets, has been seeking independent access for more than two years. Israel has barred reporters from entering Gaza independently since the October 2023 attacks, arguing that unrestricted access could endanger both journalists and soldiers.

While the military has allowed occasional, tightly controlled media visits, the FPA argued before a three-judge panel that such arrangements cannot replace independent reporting. Its lawyers said that since aid workers are allowed to move in and out of Gaza, journalists should be granted the same access. A court ruling is expected in the coming days.