Ran Gvili, the final Gaza hostage, located and returned to Israel

IDF forces locate the remains of Ran Gvili, the last Israeli hostage held in Gaza, and return his body to Israel, marking the first time since 2014 without any Israeli hostages in captivity.

By World Israel News Staff

Israeli forces on Monday located the remains of the last hostage held in Gaza, returning his body to Israel for identification and ending 843 days of captivity.

On Monday afternoon, the Israeli military announced that the IDF had located the remains of Staff Sgt. Ran Gvili, a member of the police department’s elite Yasam unit who was shot and killed while fighting Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023.

Gvili’s body was brought to Israel and positively identified, an army spokesperson said.

“After the completion of the identification process by the National Institute of Forensic Medicine, in cooperation with the Israel Police and the Military Rabbinate, IDF representatives informed the family of the hostage Ran Gvili, of blessed memory, that their loved one has been identified and will be laid to rest.”

“The IDF shares in the family’s grief. The IDF will continue to accompany the families and the returnees and to act to strengthen the security of Israel’s citizens. With this, all hostages have been returned from the Gaza Strip.”

Gvili’s remains were found in a Muslim cemetery in an eastern neighborhood of Gaza City.

The initial identification was made by dentists who examined the body’s teeth. Later, the positive identification was confirmed with fingerprints and other tests.

The IDF exhumed hundreds of bodies from the cemetery over the past few days, testing some 250 of them before Gvili’s remains were identified.

“With this, the circle is closed,” the Hostages, Returnees, and Missing Persons Directorate said. “All 255 hostages have been returned from Gaza to Israel.”

Defense Minister Israel Katz (Likud) eulogized Gvili, and described the recovery of his body a “painful moment that closes the circle.”

“This is a moment that underscores the State of Israel’s commitment to its soldiers and citizens: to bring every single one home—as we promised the families and the public in Israel. This is mutual responsibility.”

“Ran was a courageous warrior who acted out of a profound sense of mission and national responsibility. His heroism on that difficult morning is part of the story of the resilience and determination of our fighters and security forces in the face of the terrorist attack.”

Israeli President Isaac Herzog said Gvili’s return had “immeasurable importance” for Israel, highlighting the “importance in fulfilling the sacred obligation to redeem captives.”

“After many difficult years, for the first time since 2014, there are no Israeli citizens held hostage in Gaza. An entire nation prayed and waited for this moment.”