Israel recovers last hostage body, paving way for Gaza’s lifeline to reopen

Jerusalem: Israel has recovered the remains of the last remaining hostage held in Gaza, the military said, fulfilling a key condition of the initial phase of US President Donald Trump’s plan to end the war in the Palestinian territory.

The remains of police officer Ran Gvili – held in Gaza for more than 840 days – have been identified and will be returned for burial, the military said on Monday, Israeli time.

The recovery of the remains could pave the way for a limited reopening of the Rafah Crossing between Gaza and Egypt, the devastated enclave’s main gateway to the outside world, in line with Israeli pledges.

The Palestinian committee of technocrats backed by the US to administer Gaza has said the border crossing would open this week. A government spokesperson had no immediate comment when asked when the border crossing would be reopened.

Gvili’s remains had been held in Gaza since he was killed during Hamas’s attack on October 7, 2023, when the Palestinian militant group led an attack on southern Israeli communities, triggering a two-year Israeli offensive.

Footage aired on Israeli news channels showed dozens of soldiers arm in arm, purportedly at the site in Gaza where the body was discovered, singing a Hebrew song expressing Jewish hope and faith.

Another image from Gaza showed what appeared to be a casket draped in the Israeli flag, surrounded by soldiers. In social media posts on Monday, Gvili’s mother, Talik, called her son a hero.

Gvili was off-duty on October 7, recovering from an injury, when he was killed fighting the militants.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, speaking to reporters at the Knesset, described the discovery of Gvili’s remains as an “unbelievable achievement for the State of Israel”.

“Rani is a hero of Israel, who went in first and he emerged last,” he said.

Gvili was one of the 251 hostages seized and taken to Gaza by militants during the October 7 attack. At the time of a ceasefire deal that Israel and Hamas agreed in October, 48 hostages remained in Gaza, 28 of them believed dead, including Gvili.

Handing over all the remaining living and dead hostages was a core commitment of the first phase of the deal, though other parts have not been fulfilled and there are huge splits over what comes next.

In Israel, the return of Gvili’s body has been anticipated as a moment of national healing. The Hamas attack, the bloodiest killing of Jews since the Holocaust, was widely seen as the most traumatic event in the country’s history.

Across Israel, highways, skyscrapers, shops and homes have carried yellow ribbons and posters with the faces of the hostages while demonstrators gathered each week at a Tel Aviv plaza dubbed Hostages Square to demand their return.

Even before Gvili’s body had been found, the Trump administration announced that the US-led plan to end the war would move on to its next phase, which is meant to include reconstruction of Gaza and demilitarisation of the territory.

In a statement, Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem said the discovery of Gvili’s remains confirms Hamas’ commitment to the plan.

“We will continue to uphold all aspects of the agreement, including facilitating the work of the national Gaza administration and ensuring its success,” Qassem said, referring to the committee of technocrats.

Hamas said that the information it provided helped locate Gvili’s body.

Gaza’s border with Egypt was supposed to have opened during the initial phase of Trump’s plan to end the war. However, Israeli officials had repeatedly objected, saying that Hamas must first return the body of the last remaining hostage.

A reopened Rafah crossing would make it easier for Gazans to seek medical treatment, travel internationally or visit family in Egypt, which is home to tens of thousands of Palestinians. It would also help Gaza’s devastated economy, as Palestinian-made olive oil and other products are widely sold in Egypt and throughout the Arab world.

While some aid has entered via the crossing, trucks have been lined up outside it for months while waiting for the chance to enter.

Reuters reported last week that Israel wanted to limit the number of Palestinians entering Gaza through the border crossing to fewer than those leaving, and to screen all Palestinians using the crossing at a nearby Israeli military checkpoint.

The Hamas-led attack in October 2023 killed 1200 people, according to Israeli tallies. Israel’s assault has killed 71,000 Palestinians, Gaza’s health authorities say.

Reuters, AP

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