Ran Gvili (Courtesy)[Missing Credit]
His remains were meant to be returned within 72 hours of the ceasefire taking effect in October last year, but the terror group insisted it was buried under rubble.
But the military confirmed on Sunday that it had received intelligence that his remains were buried at a Muslim cemetery in the eastern part of Gaza City.
An IDF spokesperson said: “Following the completion of the identification process by the National Institute of Forensic Medicine, in cooperation with the Israel Police and the Military Rabbinate, 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.
"According to the information and intelligence available to us, Sergeant First Class, Ran Gvili, who served in the Israeli Police Special Forces, 24 years old at the time of his death, fell in combat on the morning of October 7th, 2023, and his body was abducted to the Gaza Strip.
"The IDF expresses deep condolences to his family. The IDF will continue to support the families and the returnees, and to act to strengthen the security of the citizens of Israel.
“With this, all hostages have been returned from the Gaza Strip to the State of Israel.”
Per Hebrew media, Ran was identified by a fingerprint match after more than 250 bodies from the cemetery were examined.
The search took place on the Israeli side of the “yellow line”, the boundary between Israeli and Hamas-controlled areas outlined by the US-backed ceasefire, but some troops were deployed on the other side for security purposes.
Speaking in the Knesset, Prime Minister Netanyahu labelled the recovery operation “an extraordinary achievement for Israel”.
He went on: “We promised, and I promised, to bring everyone back, and we brought everyone back, to the last one.
"Ran is a hero of Israel. He went in first, he came out last. He came back.”
And a statement from the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said: “On the morning of the Black Saturday, Ran was at home recovering from a motorcycle accident and suffering from a fractured shoulder. Upon learning of the terrorist infiltration, he immediately put on his uniform and went out to assist his fellow unit members in the fighting.
"On his way, he encountered terrorists and fought with courage and determination on the front line at the entrance to Kibbutz Alumim. Members of the kibbutz community later gave him the name ‘Ran, the Defender of Alumim’.
“Ran, with his broad shoulders and radiant smile, was all heart. A true friend, loved by everyone. He loved life, was a young man of deep values, always spoke at eye level, and carried a powerful yet calm presence. At 24 years old at the time of his death, Ran is survived by his parents, Talik and Itzik, his brother Omri, his sister Shira, and an extended family.
Meanwhile, in a statement prior to the confirmation that Ran had been found, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) affirmed that Israel would allow the Rafah Crossing to reopen in the event that his body was recovered.
The border crossing between Gaza and Egypt in the south is a key entry point for humanitarian aid but has remained closed for much of the past two years due to concerns over the smuggling of weapons and terrorists.
The PMO said that, once all hostages had been returned, it would reopen the crossing "in accordance with what was agreed on with the United States".
One US official told the Times of Israel that Washington expects the search to take several days, with the crossing potentially opening by the end of the week.
But the PMO added that it would only be reopened for pedestrians, with aid trucks still not permitted to flow through the border from Egypt.
