Israel Recovers Final Hostage in Gaza

(MENAFN) The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have recovered the remains of the final hostage held by Hamas, marking the completion of what was intended as the initial phase of US President Donald Trump’s strategy to end the conflict in Gaza.

Forensic examinations confirmed that the body belongs to Israeli police officer Ran Gvili, the military reported on Monday.

According to the IDF, Gvili’s remains will now be returned for burial.

Under Trump’s original agreement signed in October, the repatriation of all hostages, both living and deceased, was meant to finalize the first stage of the plan. However, even before Gvili’s remains were recovered, the Trump administration indicated that the deal was moving into its second stage, which was described as concentrating on Gaza’s reconstruction and demilitarization.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed the retrieval of Gvili’s body but emphasized that the subsequent phase would not focus on rebuilding Gaza. “The next phase is not reconstruction,” he stated. “The next phase is disarming Hamas and the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip.”

Hamas claimed that its fighters had assisted in locating the remains, describing the effort as “confirmation of our commitment to the ceasefire.”

The October 7, 2023 attack led by Hamas resulted in 251 hostages being taken and roughly 1,200 fatalities. In retaliation, Israel launched an extensive military operation in Gaza, which, according to local health authorities, has killed over 71,000 Palestinians and injured more than 171,000.

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