Israel Recovers Remains Of Last Gaza Hostage Ran Gvili
The Israeli military said Ran Gvili's remains, taken on Oct. 7, 2023, were identified by dental records.
Overview
The Israeli military said it recovered and identified the remains of Israeli police sergeant Ran Gvili, the last of 251 people taken in the Oct. 7, 2023 attack, identifying him by dental records.
U.S. envoys and Israeli officials said the return fulfills a key demand of U.S. President Donald Trump's ceasefire plan and should permit movement to the deal's second phase.
President Isaac Herzog wrote on X that "the entire people of Israel are moved to tears," and Ran Gvili's relatives said they felt both relief and profound sorrow, officials and family members said.
The Oct. 7, 2023 attack killed more than 1,200 people and abducted 251, and Gaza's Health Ministry records show 71,660 Palestinians have died in the ensuing war, records show.
Israeli and U.S. officials said the next steps include efforts to deploy an international security force and to disarm Hamas, even as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emphasized demilitarization and some Israeli leaders dispute elements of the U.S. plan.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the recovery as national closure and heroic sacrifice, privileging Israeli family, military and leadership voices while using emotive depictions and memorial imagery. Editorial choices—lead placement, family lines like 'Our hero', soldiers singing, and quote selection—shape heroism and mourning; Palestinian views are limited to casualty counts and a brief Hamas statement.
Sources (4)
FAQ
Ran Gvili was a 24-year-old Israeli police Master Sgt. in the Yasam counter-terror unit from Meitar. Despite recovering from a shoulder injury, he put on his uniform, rescued about 100 survivors from the Nova music festival, fought at Kibbutz Alumim, killed 14 Hamas terrorists, was wounded, and was killed with his body abducted.[1][2]
The Israeli military recovered his remains from a cemetery in eastern Gaza City and identified them using dental records after over 843 days.[5]
It marks the recovery of the last of the 251 hostages taken on October 7, 2023, closing the hostage crisis after more than two years, with no Israeli hostages left in Gaza since 2014.
President Isaac Herzog stated the people of Israel were moved to tears; Gvili's family expressed relief mixed with profound sorrow.[Story]
U.S. and Israeli officials indicate it fulfills a key demand of Trump's ceasefire plan, enabling movement to phase two, including deploying an international security force and disarming Hamas, amid Netanyahu's emphasis on demilitarization.[Story]
History
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