All articles tagged with #ran gvili
The Jerusalem Post profiles IDF’s YASAR unit, which bravely enters hostile territory to locate, identify, and return dead soldiers to their families. Since the war began, the unit has retrieved more than 600 bodies; in a landmark mission they unearthed 250 remains to positively identify Ran Gvili, the last hostage, ending years of national anguish and delivering closure to grieving families.
Capt. 'L', a dentist in IDF Unit 6017, discusses positively identifying St.-Sgt.-Maj. Ran Gvili in northern Gaza after exhuming about 250 bodies; the ID relied on two of three methods—fingerprints, dental work, or DNA—to confirm the remains, with ante-mortem dental records playing a key role. The operation Brave Heart required navigating danger in the field, and the notification of the ID sparked a moment of unity and relief across the nation as the unit announced the news.
Former Israeli hostage Sasha Troufanov, who spent 498 days in Gaza, says the return of Ran Gvili’s body — the last of the captives' remains — lets all released hostages breathe and start rebuilding their lives. He describes brutal, isolating captivity, including beatings, sexual harassment, and constant surveillance, noting his fiancée Sapir Cohen was freed earlier while he was released in February 2025. He emphasizes that rebuilding Gaza alone won’t prevent future attacks and calls for lasting steps to halt the cycle of violence as he begins rehabilitation and plans his wedding.
Israel says it has recovered the body of the last Gaza hostage, Master Sgt Ran Gvili, ending the search tied to the October ceasefire; with all Gaza hostages accounted for, border crossings with Egypt can reopen and the second phase of Donald Trump’s peace plan—focusing on Gaza’s reconstruction and Hamas disarmament—can proceed.
Israel's security cabinet debated reopening Gaza's Rafah crossing, agreeing it would open after the current IDF operation ends—whether or not Ran Gvili's body is found—while inbound reentry remains tied to his remains; the United States and mediators plan a two-way reopening starting Monday.
Israel says it will reopen the Rafah border crossing with Egypt only after completing a focused operation to recover the body of Ran Gvili, the last Israeli hostage killed in 2023; the crossing has been largely closed since May 2024. The search in northern Gaza could last several days, after which a limited pedestrian reopening with Israeli monitoring is planned, with broader reopening contingent on finishing the operation and ongoing mediation with the US and Egypt as phase two of the Gaza peace plan is discussed.
Israel said its military is conducting a large-scale operation in Gaza to locate Ran Gvili, the last hostage held since 2023, as U.S. mediators press to move the ceasefire into its second phase and reopen Rafah. The search, including cemetery work and sites in Gaza City and northern Gaza, could take days, with Hamas saying it has provided all known information about Gvili’s remains and accusing Israel of stalling. The day also featured a fire at UNRWA’s Jerusalem headquarters amid rising tensions.
Israel says its military is conducting a large-scale operation to locate the last hostage in Gaza, Ran Gvili, a move seen as clearing the way for the second phase of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire and potential reopening of the Rafah crossing with Egypt.
Israel reportedly conducted a covert operation in Gaza to abduct an Islamic Jihad operative believed to be connected to the holding of Ran Gvili's body, which has been in Hamas's possession for months, with ongoing efforts to recover it.