Israel military says remains of final hostage in Gaza have been recovered
People hold signs with a photo of Ran Gvili, who was killed while fighting Hamas militants during the Oct. 7, 2023 attack and whose body has been held in Gaza ever since, during a rally calling for his return in Tel Aviv, Israel. (AP Photo) The Israeli military has announced that they have retrieved the remains of the final hostage in Gaza, which has potentially cleared the way for the next phase of ceasefire as it fulfills US President Donald Trump’s key condition to end the Gaza war.
The announcement by Israeli military on Monday came a day after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government said that its army was conducting a “large scale operation” in a cemetery in northern Gaza to locate the remains of Ran Gvili, the last hostage.
There are officially no more hostages in captivity in Gaza.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) January 26, 2026
In the first phase of Gaza’s ceasefire deal, returning all remaining hostages, living or dead, was a key part and Gvili’s family had urged the Israeli government to not enter into the second phase of ceasefire until his remains were recovered and returned.
Ceasefire mediators, including the United States have been pressuring Israel and Hamas to move into the second phase of the Washington-brokered truce, which came into effect on October 10.
