Israel retrieves final hostage’s body from Gaza

What happened

The Israeli government announced Monday it had recovered the remains of Ran Gvili, a 24-year-old police officer killed fighting Hamas militants during the Oct. 7, 2023, attack. The return of Gvili’s body marks the “first time since 2014 that there are no Israeli hostages,” living or dead, being held in the Gaza Strip, CNN said.

Who said what

“Completing the recovery of Israel’s fallen paves the way for the next phase” of President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan, The New York Times said. That includes opening the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza, “allowing Palestinians who fled the enclave to return home for the first time.” Gvili’s family had “urged” the Israeli government to delay the second phase “until his remains were recovered and returned,” The Associated Press said.

Israel must now “complete the implementation of all the terms of the ceasefire agreement in full,” Hamas said in a statement, “without any reduction or delay.” The “next phase is disarming Hamas and demilitarizing the Gaza Strip,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday. He called the recovery of Gvili’s remains “an incredible achievement” for Israel and its soldiers. Hamas “worked very hard to get the body back” in collaboration with Israel, Trump told Axios. “Now we have to disarm Hamas like they promised.”

What next?

Israel said Monday it would reopen the Rafah crossing in the “next days,” but only for foot traffic. There is “a great deal of skepticism in Israel and the region that Hamas will peacefully disarm,” Axios said, and that “Netanyahu will show restraint and let the process play out.”