In a significant moment for the Israel–Hamas conflict, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that Hamas had assisted in locating the remains of the final Israeli hostage — Sergeant First Class Ran Gvili, whose body was recovered from Gaza after more than two years in captivity. With this development, all Israeli hostages — both living and deceased — have now been accounted for under the terms of the ceasefire agreement.
Trump, speaking in an interview with Axios, described the search for Gvili’s remains as extraordinarily challenging, noting that Israeli teams had to sift through hundreds of bodies before identifying the correct remains. He credited Hamas with cooperating in the operation, saying, “They worked very hard to get the body back,” and emphasized that this completion marked a crucial milestone in the peace process.
With the hostage track closed, Trump urged that the next phase must focus on disarming Hamas, an element he said the group had previously committed to under the U.S.-brokered peace framework. He stressed that moving forward toward demilitarization and reconstruction hinges on honoring that promise, even as skepticism remains about whether Hamas will relinquish its arms peacefully.
Israeli leaders welcomed the recovery and indicated steps toward implementing the second phase of the ceasefire plan, including reopening the Rafah border crossing with Egypt and advancing broader diplomatic efforts.
News as reported
