The IDF announced Monday that the identity of Master Sgt. Ran Gvili has been confirmed, marking the return of the last Israeli hostage from Gaza and the first time since 2014 that no Israelis remain held in the Strip.
Gvili, 24, from Meitar, was located after 843 days in captivity following the October 7 attack. His identification was completed at the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “Ran, hero of Israel — he went in first and came out last. This is a great achievement.”
According to the Israel Defense Forces, intelligence pointing to a cemetery in eastern Gaza City as Gvili’s burial site had been known for some time. Recent intelligence-gathering efforts and information conveyed by Hamas through mediators clarified the picture, and new information received last week prompted a focused search that led to the discovery of his body.
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Forces operated primarily on the Israeli side of the “Yellow Line,” with some troops crossing it for security purposes. Another lead had suggested Gvili might have been buried in a tunnel about a kilometer away, also on the Israeli side. Combat engineers excavated and scanned the tunnel but found nothing. Other possibilities, including Shifa Hospital and another cemetery, were not searched as they lie on the Hamas side of the ceasefire line.
The recovery effort, known as Operation “Brave Heart,” followed several intelligence leads. Among those taking part was musician Idan Amadi, previously wounded in Gaza.
On October 7, despite suffering from a broken shoulder in a motorcycle accident and awaiting surgery, Gvili joined the fighting at Kibbutz Alumim and helped rescue dozens from the Re’im music festival before being killed and abducted.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir told his parents, “We kept our promise that no one is left behind. IDF soldiers, the fighters at the front and the entire nation are deeply moved by Ran’s return to a Jewish burial.”
Defense Minister Israel Katz called the recovery “a painful moment of closure,” saying it “highlights the State of Israel’s commitment to its soldiers and citizens: to bring every single one home, as we promised the families and the Israeli public.” He also thanked the IDF’s “heroic soldiers for their extraordinary determination and commitment to returning all of our hostages and protecting our citizens.”