Remains of the final Israeli hostage in Gaza have been recovered, paving the way for the next phase of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire.
On Sunday, Israel’s government said its military was conducting a “large-scale operation” to find the remains of Ran Gvili, the last missing hostage.
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Gvili, a 24-year-old police officer, was killed during the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that sparked the war and was among the first to be taken into Gaza, according to The Associated Press.
Now, in what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is calling an “incredible achievement,” the military found and identified Gvili’s remains.
“I promised we would bring everyone home, and we have brought everyone home,” Netanyahu said.
Ceasefire phase two
The recovery was a key aspect of the ceasefire agreement signed last year by Israel and Hamas. It required the return of all living and dead hostages before moving on to phase two of the agreement.
Both Israel and Hamas have accused each other of delaying Gvili’s recovery. Hamas said it provided all the information it had on Gvili’s location, but Israel obstructed efforts to locate him.
With Gvili’s remains now returning to Israel, there’s a path towards phase two of the ceasefire. The second phase of the 20-point peace plan focuses on further prisoner exchanges, a further or possibly complete withdrawal of Israeli forces and establishing permanent border arrangements.
It also calls for creating an international stabilization force, forming a technocratic Palestinian government and disarming Hamas.
Specific efforts and details are limited, however. According to the Institute of Palestine Studies, Israel refused to provide written guarantees for phase two until all conditions of phase one were met.
Rafah crossing
Next steps also include reopening the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt. Prior to Gvili’s recovery, Netanyahu’s office said it would reopen the crossing for pedestrians only, on the condition of “the return of all living hostages and a 100% effort by Hamas to locate and return all deceased hostages.”
“Upon completion of this operation,” Netanyahu’s office said, referring to the search for Gvili, “and in accordance with what has been agreed upon with the U.S., Israel will open the Rafah Crossing.”
The crossing was Palestinian’s path to the rest of the world. The New York Times reports that tens of thousands of Palestinians used it to flee to Egypt at the start of the war. However, Israeli forces seized the crossing, preventing severely ill and wounded Gazans from seeking medical treatment.
With the reopening, foreign journalists may be able to return to Gaza. The territory has been mostly off limits since the start of the war, restricting independent reporting on the effects of the fighting.
Foreign journalists petitioned the territory for access, and on Monday, the Israeli Supreme Court heard arguments. One justice suggested the Rafah crossing could allow journalists to enter Gaza through Egypt.
