Gaza/Tel Aviv(The COW News Digital) The remains of the last Israeli hostage held in Gaza have been recovered, bringing closure to a chapter that began with the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Israeli authorities confirmed that the remains belong to Master Sergeant Ran Gvili, a 24-year-old Israeli police officer who was killed during the attack and later taken to Gaza.
According to international news agencies, Israeli forces located the remains in a cemetery in Gaza City following a targeted intelligence-led operation. Officials said the search was launched based on specific intelligence indicating that the body had been buried in a Muslim cemetery in the eastern part of the city.
The recovery operation involved several days of excavation and forensic examination. Israeli authorities stated that the identification was confirmed through dental records, fingerprints, and additional forensic tests. More than 20 forensic dentists were reportedly involved as hundreds of graves were examined during the operation.
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Ran Gvili was the last of the 251 people taken hostage during the October 7 attack. With the recovery of his remains, Israeli officials confirmed that no Israeli hostages, living or deceased, remain in Gaza, 843 days after the initial abductions.
The Israeli military said that Gvili, despite having an injured shoulder, put on his uniform and rode a motorcycle to Kibbutz Alumim on the day of the attack, where he fought Hamas fighters for several hours before being killed. His body was later transferred to Gaza, a fact that had been confirmed through intelligence assessments.
Israeli officials said the breakthrough came after a detained member of Palestinian Islamic Jihad provided information regarding the location of the remains. The military emphasized that all other bodies exhumed during the search would be reburied respectfully following the conclusion of forensic procedures.
The development comes within the framework of a ceasefire agreement reached in October 2025, which included provisions for the return of both living and deceased hostages. Hamas stated that the return of Gvili’s remains demonstrates its adherence to the ceasefire terms.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, however, reiterated that the next phase must focus on the disarmament of Hamas and the end of militarization in Gaza. Israeli sources also reported that, under the ceasefire agreement, Israel is expected to hand over the bodies of at least 15 Palestinian detainees to Gaza’s health authorities following the completion of the process.
The recovery has been described by Israeli officials as a moment of national mourning and closure, while the broader conflict and political negotiations surrounding Gaza remain unresolved.
