Israel retrieves remains of last Gaza hostage, military says

The Israeli military said it identified the remains of the last hostage held in Gaza as police officer Ran Gvili and will return them for burial; Israel said it will reopen the Rafah crossing once the remains are returned or the search concludes.

Israel's military said on Monday it retrieved the remains of the last hostage held in Gaza. The remains were identified as police officer Ran Gvili, who was taken during the October 7, 2023 attack and later killed. Officials said the identification meets a key condition of the initial phase of U.S. President Donald Trump's plan to end the Gaza war. Reported details: - The military announced the remains of Ran Gvili have been identified. - The remains are to be returned for burial, according to the statement. - Israel said it will reopen the Rafah border crossing with Egypt once the remains are returned or the search operation for his body concludes. - Gvili had been held in Gaza since he was killed during the October 7, 2023 attack. Summary: The identification of the remains is reported to fulfil a condition linked to the first phase of an international plan discussed by officials. The immediate next steps stated are the return of the remains for burial and the reopening of the Rafah crossing contingent on that return or the conclusion of the search.