Ran Gwili
The Israeli army, known as the IDF, reported the return of the body of the last hostage who remained in the Gaza Strip. This was confirmed in an official statement by the Israel Defense Forces.
An expert assessment determined that the discovered remains belong to police officer Ran Gwili. During the hostilities on October 7, 2023, 24-year-old Gwili was killed, after which his body was taken to Gaza.
Recently, Israeli authorities announced the start of a large-scale operation aimed at locating the remains of Ran Gwili in the Gaza Strip.
U.S. President Donald Trump noted in an interview with Axios that Hamas assisted in the search for Ran Gwili's remains. "They made significant efforts to return the body, working in cooperation with Israel. It was a very difficult task... Now it's time to disarm Hamas, as they promised," he added.
An important condition of the first stage of the peace agreement, signed in October 2025, was the return of all living hostages and the bodies of the deceased. Hamas terrorists transferred living hostages to Israel in several stages by early December.
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on January 25 that after the remains of Ran Gwili were found, the IDF would open the Rafah crossing, which connects the Gaza Strip with Egypt and serves as an important route for humanitarian aid. These actions are part of the second stage of the peace plan.
