STORY: :: Israeli military
:: Released January 26, 2026
Israel said on Monday it had recovered the remains of the last hostage held in Gaza, police officer Ran Gvili.
His retrieval could pave the way for a limited reopening of the Rafah crossing, the devastated enclave's main gateway to the outside world.
Israel's military released this video of troops singing the national anthem around his coffin.
Reuters couldn't verify the location or date.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the Knesset there were no hostages left in Gaza, hailing Gvili as a hero.
The police officer was off-duty and recovering from an injury when he was killed fighting Hamas militants in the October 7, 2023 attack.
The recovery of Gvili fulfills a key condition of the initial phase of U.S. President Donald Trump's plan to end the Gaza war.
But other commitments have not been met and there are huge splits over what comes next.
The Trump administration had already announced it was launching the plan's next phase, which is meant to include the reconstruction of Gaza and its demilitarization.
:: Israeli military
In a statement, Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem said the discovery of Gvili's remains confirms Hamas' commitment to the plan.
The group said information it provided helped to locate Gvili's body.
:: File
A Palestinian committee of technocrats backed by the U.S. to administer Gaza has said the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt would open this week.
It was meant to open during the initial phase, but Israeli officials objected that Hamas must first return the last remaining hostage.
Reuters reported on Friday that Israel wanted to limit the number of Palestinians entering Gaza through the border crossing to fewer than those leaving.
