The IDF said Monday it has recovered the remains of St.-Sgt.-Maj. Ran Gvili, the last remaining Israeli hostage held in Gaza, following a series of clandestine intelligence and ground operations in the northern part of the enclave.
The recovery followed a weekend push built on new intelligence that narrowed down several long-standing possibilities regarding where Gvili had been buried. Military officials said recent information pointed to a Muslim cemetery in the Shejaiay Darah-Tuffah area of northern Gaza, near the Israeli side of what is known as the “yellow line.”
The IDF said it had previously tracked two to three possible burial sites, but only the intelligence gathered through recent covert activity convinced commanders that this location was likely correct. Officials said that while fragments of information about the cemetery had existed for some time, corroborating evidence obtained over the weekend tipped the balance in favor of launching a focused recovery operation.
Israeli military sources emphasized that the intelligence did not come directly from Hamas. At the same time, they said Hamas — as well as Qatari mediators involved in hostage-related discussions — had been consulted and believed the information could be accurate.
IDF soldiers singing Ani Ma’amin after the recovery of the last remaining hostage in Gaza, Ran Gvili HY”D.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir speaks by phone with the family of Master Sgt. Ran Gvili, after his body was recovered by the military from a cemetery in eastern Gaza City. “We are all deeply moved, embracing you, and thanking all the IDF soldiers who worked on this mission. I am very glad that we are bringing you this news, which brings a great deal of relief,” Zamir says.
“We have completed the mission of returning all the hostages, both the living and the fallen”.
Talik Gvili, the slain police officer’s mother, says that the news is “a relief, after these two and a half years, even though we hoped for a different ending.”
IDF officials suggested that Hamas may have provided misleading or incomplete information in recent weeks. They also raised the possibility that Palestinian Islamic Jihad, rather than Hamas, buried Gvili’s remains in the cemetery, potentially under the mistaken belief that he was one of their own fighters or at least Palestinian.
The recovery operation involved a substantial deployment of regular and reserve troops, along with specialized engineering units tasked with excavation and site security.
The IDF also dispatched rabbinic advisers to address halachic considerations related to handling human remains, as well as a forensic dentist to assist with rapid identification.
According to military sources, the first step in confirming Gvili’s identity was to attempt to match fingerprints. If fingerprints were not usable, officials said, dental records or DNA testing would be used to establish identification.
The operation unfolded against a sensitive political backdrop. Israeli officials had been facing growing pressure over the potential reopening of the Rafah Crossing, a move that could have proceeded before Gvili’s remains were recovered. Military and political sources indicated that the prospect of reopening the crossing while the fate of the final hostage remained unresolved carried the risk of significant domestic and diplomatic fallout.
Had the cemetery search failed, the IDF was prepared to pivot quickly to the remaining suspected locations.
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5 Responses
Good news regarding Ran Gvili. 👍 Since Oct. 7th 2023 when Caroline and I were in Jerusalem, I have been overseeing, monitoring and advising about the Hostages every single day. (842 days in total). What is the way forward now? 🤔 See what I have been counselling:
Redemptive Moves of the Holy Land Cube:
Ongoing 24/7/365 Oversight and Correct Management of the Temple Mount/Haram al Sharif-Al Aqsa đź•Ś âś”
10/10/2025 Gaza-Israel-Hostages Ceasefire Announced âś”
12/10/2025 The CMCC set up in Kiryat Gat. Manned 24/7/365. 200 personnel. 5 year mission. âś”
The Lines of Communication between Hamas and Israel Remain Open âś”
Search for Hostage’s Bodies continues > Returned to Israel > Positive ID > Funerals > Closure for their Families ✔ (26/1/2026 the last hostage, Ran Gvilii is found and identified)
The Ceasefire between Hamas and Israel in Gaza holds âś”
Humanitarian Aid to the Gaza Strip increases. (More crossings opened. Rafah Crossing soon circa 29/1/2026) âś”
High Level US Officials continue to visit the CMCC in Kiryat Gat and to “Bibisit” (e.g. Mike Waltz 8/12/2025. Admiral Brad Cooper 24/1/2026) ✔
17/11/2025 UNSC Resolution 2803 Tabled > Discussed > Negotiated > Voted > Passed âś”
Ten Year Hudna هدنة Track – Hamas/PIJ Disarmament > They transform to a dedicated Police Force, Border Guard and Customs Service in Gaza
Technocratic Committee/Government for Gaza. 15 Members Announced on 14/1/2026. âś” The National Committee for the Administration of Gaza. “NCAG”. Chair Ali Shaath.
The Board of Peace incl. Nickolay Mladenov âś”
A “MPTF” Established > Funding
The International Security Force: Funded, Selected and Arrives inside Gaza
Reconstruction of the Gaza Strip
Agreement from all key parties to the Holy Land Commonwealth
Jerusalem: Tent of Meeting > International Peace Conference 2026
As Nike says: “Just Do It !” đź‘‘
Adam Neira
Founder of World Peace 2050
Founded in April 2000
Paris – Jerusalem – Melbourne
You don’t know if this is real or was done because of world pressure to give on to this baloney peace charade. I would not trust the tziyonim as they are professional atheistic liars. They will do anything to look good in the eyes of the lowest goyim. Have pork stores,tattoo shops,chillul public shabbos and mishkav zachor parades. That’s why no religious Jew should fall for their lies. Until the head of the army,Supreme court and prime minister is not someone on the level as Rabbi Chaim Kanefsky,we don’t recognize the government. It’s just an evil entity that we pray three times a day to be disbanded.
Flatbush Yid wrote:
“You don’t know if this is real”
Huh? 🤔
Turn on any Israeli modern day Hebrew TV channel right now, 16:55 IDT Monday 26/1/2026 / Shevat 8, 5786 and you will see a large group of IDF soldiers in Gaza at the recovery site praying and celebrating the finding and return of Ran Gvili. This positive event today is 100% not “Fake News”. Your negativity and scepticism is not needed now.
To Adam.
Your program is delusional. Since 1948 the Arabs have attacked Israel in wars and through terrorism countless times. The secular lefty Israelis living near Gaza thought like you and allowed the gazans to come over to help on their homes. They would drive sick gazans to israeli hospitals as good volunteers. In the end these neighbors killed,raped,burnt and kidnapped their families. Now many of them had their eyes opened. They realize they were living in a dream world. Gaza will always be an enemy unless everyone there is shipped to other countries and Jews move in. Learn history. Everyday within Israel there are attacks from stone throwing to other means of violence. You just don’t read about it. It’s only news when Jews fight back and defend themselves. We need Israel to be a real Jewish state where Torah is the constitution not British old law.
Adam wake up and smell the coffee. Israeli media and the political elite will do anything to make believe all is well. When the female lookout soldiers with no weapons kept sending messages about possible gazan Hamas Terrorists planning attack,they were ignored by the army elite. And 1200 Jews got massacred plus 915 soldiers. Don’t be naive. The government will parade around the whole media and soldiers with fake stories. They want to please the antisemitic European and Arab countries. We Orthodox Jews know the score.