Israelis expressed relief as the remains of Ran Gvili, the last hostage taken into Gaza, were recovered Monday.
Witnesses, victim ‘uncooperative’ after man suffers close-range wound from shotgun in Jacksonville Beach: policeDo you have a question for the transportation chief of Duval County Public Schools? We want to hear from you Read full article: Do you have a question for the transportation chief of Duval County Public Schools? We want to hear from youRead full article: All lanes reopen on I-95 north near Florida 207 after crashTwo women embrace next to a banner with a photo of Ran Gvili after the announcement that the hostage, whose remains were the last to be recovered from Gaza, had been identified, in a plaza known as Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, Jan.
26, 2026. Shira Gvili, right, embraces her mother Talik during a rally calling for the return of her brother Ran Gvili, who was killed while fighting Hamas militants during the Oct. 7, 2023 attack and whose body has been held in Gaza ever since, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Friday, Jan. 23, 2026. A woman walks past chairs with photos of Ran Gvili, the final hostage in Gaza who was killed while fighting Hamas militants during the Oct. 7, 2023 attack, on the same day his remains were recovered, in a plaza known as Hostages Square, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, Jan. 26, 2026. People hold signs with a photo of Ran Gvili, who was killed while fighting Hamas militants during the Oct. 7, 2023 attack and whose body has been held in Gaza ever since, during a rally calling for his return in Tel Aviv, Israel, Friday, Jan. 23, 2026. This undated photo provided by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum shows Israeli hostage Ran Gvili, who was abducted and brought to Gaza in the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023. Two women embrace next to a banner with a photo of Ran Gvili after the announcement that the hostage, whose remains were the last to be recovered from Gaza, had been identified, in a plaza known as Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, Jan. 26, 2026. , were recovered Monday ended a painful saga that had transfixed Israel for two and a half years and stalled its ceasefire agreement with Hamas. There was an outpouring of emotion in Israel after the recovery of the body of the 24-year-old police officer, who was killed while fighting militants during the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, attack that triggered the war in Gaza. Beyond Israel, many hoped the ceasefire could move into its second phase.But for Gvili’s friends and family, the mourning process could begin after an agonizing, monthslong search. “We see all the other families whose sons came back and we see in their eyes that they have relief,” his sister, Shira Gvili, told The Associated Press in early December, when the last remaining hostage aside from her brother was. “This is why it’s so important. Because we want to move on with our with our life and just remember Rani.” Since then, Israelis have known Gvili's story by heart. On the day of the Oct. 7 attack, he was recovering from a broken shoulder but rushed to assist fellow officers. He was killed fighting militants trying to enter a kibbutz, and his body was taken to Gaza. The military confirmed his death four months later.“The first to go, the last to leave,” his mother, Talik Gvili, wrote on Facebook after receiving the news Monday. “Our hero.”Several Israeli leaders posted videos of themselves removing a pin of a yellow ribbon Monday, a sign that the fight to return the hostages was over. “The entire people of Israel are moved to tears,” President Isaac Herzog wrote on X. “This was an operation of immeasurable importance in fulfilling the sacred obligation to redeem captives.” He noted it was the first time since 2014 that Israel did not have any hostages held in Gaza. Two soldiers were killed and their bodies taken to Gaza that year. Israel's military retrieved one of the bodies, and the As part of the ceasefire agreement that took effect on Oct. 10, Hamas released 20 living hostages and, over the course of two months, the bodies of 27 of 28 deceased hostages, but said they could not locate Gvili's body.Gvili was one of 251 people, mostly civilians, who were abducted in the Oct. 7 attack, when Hamas-led militants killed more than 1,200 people. In the ensuing war in Gaza, some 71,660 Palestinians were killed, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. The ministry, part of the Hamas-run government, maintains detailed casualty records that are seen as generally reliable by U.N. agencies and independent experts. On Sunday, Hamas said it had exhausted all efforts to locate Gvili and had turned over information about the body's potential location to Israel. It said troops were searching one of the areas it specified in northern Gaza. After a major operation to exhume dozens of bodies from a cemetery there, Israel's military said Gvili's remains were identified by his teeth. Footage on Israeli media showed dozens of soldiers, arms wrapped around each other, singing religious songs as his body was identified and exhumed.On the morning of the Oct. 7 attack, Gvili was at home, Shira Gvili said. He had been on medical leave from his elite police unit. Still, when he heard that gunmen were attacking panicked partygoers at theGvili and the other officers never made it there, his sister said. Instead, they encountered the militants at Kibbutz Alumim. “He radioed his team to warn that more vehicles carrying terrorists were approaching,” his mother said in an interview with Ynet. “He opened fire, and they came at him. He fought them alone, injured in both his leg and arm, and he took down those monsters.”At the entrance to Kibbutz Alumim, one of the many border villages militants attacked on Oct. 7, there is a sign emblazoned with a photo of Gvili smiling in his uniform, his name beneath it. “He fought a heroic battle, saving the lives of the kibbutz members,” the sign says. “Since then he has been known as ‘Rani, the Shield of Alumim.’”, those of Alumim survived. They credit that to men like Gvili, who joined emergency response team members, soldiers and police officers who fended off waves of militants.on the kibbutz, however, met a different fate. Left exposed in agricultural areas outside the kibbutz’s defensive perimeter, 22 foreign nationals were killed, according to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz., which runs between Gaza and Egypt and that Palestinians see as their lifeline to the world. The crossing has been largely closed since May 2024. The next steps of the ceasefire agreement, which American envoys have been pushing for the past week, will be moreKey elements include deploying an international force to secure Gaza, disarming Hamas and forming a temporary Palestinian government to run day-to-day affairs under the supervision of an international board led by Trump.Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.Smoke billowing from Maxwell House plant sparks call to JFRD4 JFRD employees arrested, accused of shooting paintballs at JSO car, I-95 sign during ‘prank war’Major national award for Mandarin sophomore receiver Brysen WrightWaycross residents smelling mysterious stench for days, what is it?Lawyer talks 1st Amendment implications of video with conservative activist at St. Augustine protestBryceville residents given some relief in dealing with construction on County Road 1211 year after 4 inches of snow blanketed Waycross, another winter storm is heading for GeorgiaCFO says Nassau County exceeded budget by $53 millionNassau County builder says impact fee rate hike will worsen affordability, increase home pricesJTA lays out 25-year plan for public transportation in JacksonvilleEducation commissioner slams Clay County School Board member for no-show to address racial remarks
Religion Donald Trump Shira Gvili World News Isaac Herzog
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Israeli troops search Gaza cemetery for hostage Ran GviliIsraeli troops are searching a Gaza cemetery for the body of the last hostage, Ran Gvili. Hamas says it has done everything required of it to locate his remains. The search is crucial for moving forward with opening the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt, a key part of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire.
Read more »
Israeli troops scour Gaza cemetery for remains of final hostage as Rafah crossing remains closedIsraeli troops are searching a Gaza cemetery for the body of the last hostage, Ran Gvili.
Read more »
Body of final Israeli hostage Ran Gvili recovered in Gaza after 'large-scale operation': IDFToday's Video Headlines 01/25/26
Read more »
Israel says remains of last hostage recovered from Gaza, clearing way for phase-two of ceasefire with HamasIsrael's military says the remains of Ran Gvili, the last person whose body was taken hostage into Gaza, have been recovered.
Read more »
Israel Says Ran Gvili, Final Hostage, Returned From GazaReturning all of the hostages was a key condition of the first phase of the Gaza deal brokered by President Donald Trump.
Read more »
The last hostage recovered from Gaza, Ran Gvili, died fighting to save a kibbutzIsraelis expressed relief as the remains of Ran Gvili, the last hostage taken into Gaza, were recovered Monday. Gvili, a 24-year-old police officer, was killed fighting Hamas militants during the attack on Oct. 7, 2023, that sparked the war. His family can now begin mourning after a long search for his body.
Read more »