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Israel confirmed Monday that the remains of Staff Sgt. Ran Gwili, the last Israeli hostage held in Gaza, has been rescued after 842 days and returned home.
Gwili, who was 24 at the time of his death, was serving as an Israel Police officer and was killed during fighting after confronting Hamas militants near Kibbutz Alumim on October 7, 2023, according to a statement from the Hostages and Missing Families Forum. His body was later found abducted in Gaza.
The group said, “Ran was a true friend, with his broad shoulders and radiant smile. A true friend, everyone loved him. He loved life, was young with deep values, always talked at eye level and had a powerful but calming presence.”
Gwili is survived by his parents, Talik and Itzik, his brother Omri, his sister Shira, and extended family.
US-Israeli IDF platoon commander killed in battle, body kept in Gaza, IDF says
People hold placards with the photo of Ran Gwili, who was killed fighting Hamas militants during the October 7, 2023 attack and whose body has since remained in Gaza, during a rally calling for his return in Tel Aviv, Israel, Friday, Jan. 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that following the completion of an identification process conducted by Israel’s National Institute of Forensic Medicine in coordination with police and military authorities, authorities informed the Gwili family that their loved one’s remains had been identified and would be returned for burial.
The IDF expressed condolences to the family and said that all hostages have now been returned from Gaza to Israel.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog said, “Thank you to everyone involved in the operation to bring Ran home. This was an extremely important operation in fulfilling the sacred responsibility of freeing captives.”
“After many difficult years, for the first time since 2014, no Israeli citizens are being held hostage in Gaza,” he said. “The entire nation prayed and waited for this moment.”
A search operation continues to recover the body of Israeli hostage Ran Gwili in the Zeytun neighborhood of Gaza City, January 7, 2026. (Hamza ZH Qaraika/Anadolu via Getty Images)
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In a statement released Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the recovery of Gwili’s remains was a key condition for Israel’s agreement to a limited reopening of the Rafah crossing for pedestrian crossings under President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan.
The office said Israel conditioned the full reopening on the return of all surviving hostages and a full effort by Hamas to locate and return all dead hostages.
The return of Gwili’s remains met the final condition set by Israel to advance to the next phase of the peace deal, which the White House said focuses on “lasting peace, stability, reconstruction and prosperity in the region.”
An Israeli army vehicle patrolling the border with the northern Gaza Strip, seen from the Israeli side in southern Israel on January 16, 2026. (Amir Levy/Getty Images)
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US special envoy Steve Witkoff said he and other senior US officials met with Netanyahu on Saturday to advance implementation plans for the second phase of the Trump administration’s Gaza peace plan.
“The discussions were constructive and positive, with both sides agreeing on next steps and the importance of continued cooperation on all matters important to the region,” Witkoff said in a post on X.
