Israeli military says remains of last Gaza hostage Ran Gvili recovered: What it means for ceasefire with Hamas

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Monday claimed that there were "officially no more hostages in captivity in Gaza", which is expected to have a major impact on progress towards the next phase of the ceasefire that paused the war.

This comes after the IDF identified and received the remains of 24-year-old Ran Gvili, a member of the Israeli Police Special Forces. It added that he had allegedly been killed during combat that had taken place on October 7, 2023—the day that the recent war between Israel and Hamas began—after which he had been abducted.

This comes a day after Tel Aviv said the IDF had been conducting a large-scale operation at a cemetary in northern Gaza to unearth his remains. 

The return of all hostages that had been in captivity in Gaza—dead or alive—had been a key part of the first phase of the Gaza truce. Notably, Gvili's family had also urged Tel Aviv not to begin phase two of the ceasefire with Hamas until he was found. He had allegedly been missing for more than 800 days.

With the Israeli youth's body recovered, the route is clear for the next phase of the ceasefire with Gaza.

Both Israel and Hamas have been under pressure from the mediators of the peace deal, especially the Donald Trump administration, which had played a major part in brokering the October 10 truce. 

(More details are awaited.)