Tel Aviv [Israel], January 27 (HBTV): The Israel Defence Forces on Monday said there were officially no more Israeli hostages in captivity in Gaza, following the identification of the mortal remains of slain Israeli police officer Ran Gvili.
In a post on X, the IDF said there were no remaining hostages in Gaza and confirmed that the body of SFC Ran Gvili, 24, who served in the Israeli Police Special Forces, had been identified and would be returned for burial. According to the IDF, Gvili fell in combat on the morning of October 7, 2023, and his body was abducted to Gaza. The force expressed condolences to his family and said it would continue to support the families and returnees while acting to strengthen Israel’s security.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also said that there were no more hostages in Gaza. In a post on X, he said he had fulfilled his promise to bring all hostages back home.
According to CNN, this marked the first time since 2014 that there were no Israeli hostages in the Gaza enclave. The report said Israel had made the full opening of the Rafah crossing and progress to the second phase of the Gaza peace plan conditional on the retrieval and return of all living and deceased hostages.
Meanwhile, Al Jazeera quoted Hamas as saying that in return for providing all necessary information for the successful return of captives held in Gaza, Israel must fulfil its commitments, including opening the Rafah crossing in both directions without restrictions, allowing the entry of essential supplies into Gaza, lifting bans, completing withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, and facilitating the work of the National Committee for the Administration of the Gaza Strip.
(ANI)