DEVELOPING STORYDEVELOPING STORY,
Israel says the remains of the last captive in Gaza recovered, which could pave the way for the Rafah Crossing with Egypt to reopen.
Published On 26 Jan 2026
The Israeli military says the remains of Ran Gvili, the last Israeli captive in the Gaza Strip, have been retrieved, clearing the way for the next phase of a ceasefire deal agreed in October to end the Israel-Palestine war.
“Following the completion of the identification process by the National Center of Forensic Medicine, in cooperation with the Israel Police and the Military Rabbinate, [military] representatives informed the family of the late Ran Gvili that his body has been returned for burial,” said army spokesman Avichay Adraee.
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“Thus, all the hostages held in the Gaza Strip have been repatriated,” Adraee confirmed.
The announcement comes after Hamas’s military wing said it had given “all the details” to truce mediators on the possible location of the last captive’s body to be returned to Israel under the United States-brokered ceasefire.
Israel had previously said it would open the Rafah crossing connecting Gaza and Egypt only after the last captive was found. But it has insisted that the Rafah crossing would open on a “limited basis for the passage of people only”.
