For the first time since 2014 there are no more Israeli hostages in Gaza. The body of Ran Gvili, killed and kidnapped by terrorists on October 7, 2023 while defending Kibbutz Alumim, was found and identified in a cemetery in the Shejaiay Darah-Tuffah area of Gaza, on the Israeli side of the Yellow Line. Gvili, 24, is the last of the dead hostages to return to Israel. “After two and a half years, it’s such a relief,” said his mother, Talik. «We have all worn the yellow hostage pin, now that the mission has been completed the time has come to remove it. Because their children have returned to their borders,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared to the Knesset for a special session in honor of Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama.
Kushner: “Extraordinary work.” Trump rejoices: “Now Hamas disarm”
Jared Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law and envoy, commented that the discovery of Gvili “closes one of the darkest chapters of the conflict in the Middle East”. «We have just recovered the last body of a hostage in Gaza. This way we brought home all 20 hostages alive, and all the dead! An extraordinary job! Many thought it was impossible to do. Congratulations to my great team of champions!!!», exulted Donald Trump himself on Truth, who then urged Hamas to respect the commitments made and disarm. The IDF soldiers have been working night and day since Saturday following intelligence information to find the remains of the border police sergeant major. When forensic experts confirmed that the dental structure of one body – among the 250 exhumed – and other tests gave a positive result, the soldiers burst into tears. Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir arrived on site to honor the sergeant, a prisoner in the Muslim cemetery for 843 days.
Gvili’s story
On the morning of October 7, Gvili was at home with a broken shoulder due to an accident, but upon hearing of the Hamas assault he left to join his unit. He encountered the terrorists, engaged in a fierce battle, saved lives and, only after his ammunition ran out, was he killed and taken away.
The massive operation to trace him began while the Israeli government found itself facing the embarrassment of having to reopen the Rafah crossing, under strong pressure from the USA, when the body had not yet been returned, as the agreements stipulated.
Now, the Netanyahu government will be able to start the opening of the high entry and exit gate between the Strip and Egypt. The second part of the Trump Plan can begin to take its first steps. The most difficult issue remains to be resolved: the disarmament of Hamas. «Gvili’s return represents a key step towards the full implementation of the second phase of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza. Hamas must now disarm as promised. The opening of the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt will take place in the next few days,” Trump confirmed in an interview with Channel 12.