‘Israeli’ army looking for body of final captive at Gaza cemetery

• he ‘Israeli’ military initiated an intensive search at a cemetery in northern Gaza for the remains of Ran Gvili, the final person missing from the October 7, 2023, attacks, following location data provided by Hamas to international mediators.
• Despite appeals from Gvili’s family to delay the next phase of the peace plan, US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff have urged Prime Minister Netanyahu to reopen the Rafah crossing immediately to facilitate humanitarian aid, as required by the standing ceasefire agreement.

The office of ‘Israeli’ Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that the army is searching for the remains of Ran Gvili, the last captive still believed to be in the Gaza Strip, at a cemetery in northern Gaza.

The office said the “operation is taking place at a cemetery in northern Gaza and involves intensive search efforts, making full use of all available intelligence information. This effort will continue for as long as necessary.”

Earlier, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, said: “With regard to the body of the soldier Ran Gvili, we affirm that we have provided the mediators with all the details and information we have regarding the location of the captive’s body.”

Al-Qassam spokesperson Abu Obaida, wrote on Telegram: “What confirms the truth of what we are saying is that the enemy is now searching one of the locations based on the information provided by the Qassam Brigades to the mediators.”

All Captives Except

During the October 7, 2023 attack, Hamas took 251 people from ‘Israel’ and held them in Gaza. All have since been released except for Gvili’s remains.

Hamas has previously said it is facing difficulties in locating the body due to the massive destruction in the Gaza Strip and a lack of equipment, while ‘Israel’ has accused the group of delaying its handover.

On Sunday, Hebrew media reported that envoys of US President Donald Trump, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, urged Netanyahu to reopen the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt without waiting for the return of Gvili’s body.

Gvili’s family appealed to ‘Israeli’ authorities not to proceed with the implementation of the second phase of the US plan for Gaza before his remains are returned.

“We ask that he not be forgotten, not ignored, and not left behind,” the family said in a statement.

The ceasefire agreement in effect since October 10 stipulates the reopening of the Rafah crossing, a key entry point for humanitarian aid into Gaza.

However, the crossing, which was taken over by ‘Israeli’ forces during the war, has remained closed.

While the agreement put an end to intense ‘Israeli’ bombardment of the Gaza Strip, whose residents are facing a severe humanitarian crisis, ‘Israel’ and Hamas continue to trade accusations of violating its terms.