Hamas says recovery of last hostage's remains from Gaza proves commitment to ceasefire

GAZA/JERUSALEM -- Hamas said on Monday that the discovery of the remains of the last Israeli hostage held in the Gaza Strip demonstrates the movement's full commitment to the ceasefire agreement.

In a statement, Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem said the movement "will continue to adhere to all aspects of the agreement," including facilitating the work of the technocratic committee tasked with managing Gaza's affairs.

Qassem called on mediators and the United States to compel Israel to "cease its violations of the agreement and fulfill its obligations."

The statement came after the Israeli army announced the recovery of the remains of Ran Gvili, 24, a member of Israel Police's elite Yasam patrol unit, who was killed on Oct 7, 2023, and whose body was transferred to Gaza.

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told reporters that Israeli forces were on their way back to Israel with the body of Gvili for burial, calling the recovery a "tremendous achievement" for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

"Following the completion of the identification process by the National Institute of Forensic Medicine, IDF representatives informed the family of the deceased hostage, Sergeant First Class Ran Gvili, that their loved one has been identified and will be returned for burial," the military said in a statement.

"With this, all hostages have been returned from the Gaza Strip to the State of Israel," it added.

The announcement came a day after Israel said it had launched a "large-scale operation" to locate Gvili's remains in a cemetery in northern Gaza, based on intelligence information.

According to Hamas, all Israeli captives have now been returned, either alive or as remains, as part of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States, Qatar, and Egypt, which came into effect in October 2025.