Israeli authorities have confirmed the recovery of Ran Gvili’s body, the last remaining Israeli captive in Gaza, concluding a extensive military operation that involved substantial ground and aerial maneuvers. The 24-year-old Yamam counter-terrorism unit commando was reportedly killed during the October 7, 2023 attacks, with his remains subsequently taken into the Gaza Strip.
The retrieval operation, initiated Sunday morning, involved intensive military activities in eastern Gaza City areas, particularly around al-Sanafour and al-Batsh cemetery. According to local reports from the Wafa news agency, the search involved extensive bulldozing operations that resulted in the desecration of multiple gravesites. The operation was accompanied by heavy artillery shelling and concentrated gunfire from military vehicles and quadcopter drones, resulting in numerous casualties and fatalities since Sunday.
In the Tuffah neighborhood of northeast Gaza City, artillery strikes ignited fires that consumed multiple tents. Hamas officials responded to the Israeli announcement on Monday, asserting they had “exerted significant efforts” in locating Gvili’s remains and had provided Israeli authorities with all available information regarding the body’s location.
The development potentially clears diplomatic obstacles for advancing to the second phase of the US-brokered peace initiative. Hamas emphasized that further progress requires Israel’s full compliance with the ceasefire framework implemented in October, including complete withdrawal from Gaza and unrestricted humanitarian access.
Since the ceasefire began, monitoring groups have documented over 1,300 violations attributed to Israeli forces. The truce originally aimed to conclude more than two years of conflict that resulted in over 71,660 Palestinian fatalities and the destruction of nearly 90% of Gaza’s infrastructure. Post-ceasefire violence has claimed at least 486 lives with 1,341 injured, while Israeli authorities maintain strict limitations on humanitarian aid, continuing bans on tents, mobile homes, and heating supplies.