After searching a cemetery in eastern Gaza City, the Israel Defense Forces found the body of Staff Sergeant Ran Gwili, the last hostage captured by Hamas militants on October 7, 2023.
The Times of Israel writes about this.
Gwili died defending a kibbutz in southern Israel during an attack by Hamas militants. His body was kidnapped along with 251 live hostages.
The return of all hostages — alive and dead — was one of the conditions for moving to the second phase of US President Donald Trumpʼs peace plan for the Gaza Strip.
What preceded
Active hostilities between Israel and Hamas have been ongoing since October 7, 2023. In late May 2025, the US proposed a plan for a 60-day ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, which included the release of 28 Israeli hostages — both alive and dead — in exchange for the release of 1 236 Palestinian prisoners and the transfer of the remains of 180 dead Palestinians.
On October 8, the US President Donald Trump reported that Israel and Hamas had signed the first phase of his peace plan. The following day, Israel approved the first phase of a peace deal with Hamas to release hostages.
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