Israel marks the return of the final hostage's remains after more than 2 years of war and grief
The return of Ran Gvili's remains ends a 843-day hostage saga and shifts Israel’s focus to Gaza’s disarmament and border reopening, officials said.
- Jan. 27, 2026, Israel received the remains of Master Sergeant Ran Gvili, fulfilling nationwide hopes to return all hostages as thousands watched the clock stop in Tel Aviv's Hostages Square.
- Forensic teams exhumed graves in northern Gaza and more than 20 dentists scanned approximately 250 bodies over 24 hours to identify Master Sergeant Ran Gvili.
- Two U.S. officials credited Egypt, Qatar and Turkey for securing the release, while Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad said they provided coordinates to locate the remains; two people died trying to access the cemetery.
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel will reopen the Rafah crossing in both directions for people and run security screenings, emphasizing no Gaza reconstruction without demilitarization.
- The ceasefire's second phase is set to focus on demilitarization and governance questions, while roughly one million residents displaced from Rafah face ongoing challenges.
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23 Articles
What we know about plans to open the Rafah border crossing this week
For Palestinians in Gaza, the Rafah border crossing to Egypt is their gateway to the world. But since Israel seized it in May 2024, it has been largely shut. Now Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the crossing will reopen soon, as the U.S.-brokered Israel-Hamas ceasefire plan moves into its second phase.
Israel marks return of final hostage’s remains after more than two years
For more than two years, Israelis wore yellow ribbons to remember the hostages abducted during the deadliest day in the country’s history. On Tuesday, they finally could remove those ribbons and shut down a haunting clock in Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square, marking the end of a painful chapter.
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