Israeli hostage envoy Gil Hirsch: ‘Someone in PIJ knows’ where final hostage Ran Gvili is held

The dispute erupted Tuesday after the organization announced it had handed over every captive in its possession, prompting immediate pushback from Israeli officials who said the statement was untrue.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Israel dismissed a declaration by Palestinian Islamic Jihad claiming it no longer holds hostages, insisting the group retains critical information on the fate of police Master Sgt. Ran Gvili, whose remains are still missing in Gaza.

The dispute erupted Tuesday after the organization announced it had handed over every captive in its possession, prompting immediate pushback from Israeli officials who said the statement was untrue.

Hebrew-language outlets reported that the announcement provoked sharp frustration inside Israel’s negotiating team. Channel 12 said officials reacted with anger and cited Gal Hirsch, the prime minister’s envoy for hostages, as telling mediators that Israel rejects the claim outright.

“We view Islamic Jihad’s statement severely and don’t accept it in any respect,” Hirsch told them, adding, “Someone in Islamic Jihad knows where Ran is held.”

Israeli officials say the recovery of Gvili’s remains—taken to Gaza after he was killed on October 7—is essential for moving the current ceasefire into its planned second stage.

That phase, anchored in President Donald Trump’s 20-point framework, envisions a multinational stabilization force overseeing Gaza as the IDF steps back and Hamas relinquishes its arsenal.

But progress toward that transition has stalled, with Israel insisting Hamas do more to locate the final hostage’s body.

Hirsch has reportedly delivered aerial images and the names of individuals believed capable of helping pinpoint the burial site. “We won’t give up until he is returned for a Jewish burial,” he told Channel 12. “Rani’s return isn’t a tactical matter; it is a matter with broad significance in terms of implementing and advancing the agreement.”

Efforts to find the remains have unfolded even as negotiations drag. Searches conducted this week in Gaza City’s Zeitoun neighborhood yielded no results, and heavy rain later forced teams to halt operations.

Maj. Gen. (res.) Nitzan Alon, who previously led the military’s hostage mission, told Ynet that Hamas faces “objective” obstacles in retracing the body’s location but maintains that recovery is achievable.

“Nevertheless, we believe that it is possible to bring him back,” he said, stressing that continued pressure has produced results before.

Both Israel and Hamas have expressed doubts about entering the second phase, and several states have hesitated to join the proposed international force. For Israel, however, officials say the path forward cannot open until Gvili is brought home.