Individuals maintain indicators with a photograph of Ran Gvili, who was killed whereas combating Hamas militants in the course of the Oct. 7, 2023 assault and whose physique has been held in Gaza ever since, throughout a rally calling for his return in Tel Aviv, Israel, Friday, Jan. 23, 2026.
Leo Correa/AP
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Leo Correa/AP
NAHARIYA, Israel — Israel stated Sunday its navy was conducting a “large-scale operation” to find the final hostage in Gaza, as Washington and different mediators stress Israel and Hamas to maneuver into the following section of their ceasefire.
The assertion got here as Israel’s Cupboard met to debate the potential of opening Gaza’s key Rafah border crossing with Egypt, and a day after prime U.S. envoys met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about subsequent steps.
The return of the remaining hostage, Ran Gvili, has been broadly seen as eradicating the remaining impediment to transferring forward with opening the Rafah crossing and continuing with the U.S.-brokered ceasefire’s second section.
Late Sunday, Netanyahu’s workplace in an announcement stated: “Upon completion of this operations, and in accordance with what has been agreed upon with the United States, Israel will open the Rafah crossing.” It gave no particulars on how lengthy that might be, however Israeli navy officers have been quoted in native media as saying the operation may take days to finish.
The return of all remaining hostages, alive or useless, has been a central a part of the primary section of the ceasefire that took impact on Oct. 10. Earlier than Sunday, the earlier hostage was recovered in early December.
Whereas Israel has carried out search efforts earlier than for Gvili, extra element than typical was launched about this one. Israel’s navy stated it was looking a cemetery in northern Gaza close to the Yellow Line, which marks off Israeli-controlled elements of the territory.
Individually, an Israeli navy official stated Gvili could have been buried within the Shijaiya-Tuffah space of Gaza Metropolis, and that rabbis and dental specialists have been on the bottom with specialised search groups. The official spoke on situation of anonymity as a result of they have been discussing an operation nonetheless below manner.
Gvili’s household has urged Netanyahu’s authorities to not enter the ceasefire’s second section till his stays are returned.
However stress has been constructing, and the Trump administration has already declared in latest days that the second section is below manner.
Israel has repeatedly accused Hamas of dragging its ft within the restoration of the ultimate hostage. Hamas in an announcement Sunday stated it had offered all the data it had about Gvili’s stays, and accused Israel of obstructing efforts to seek for them in areas of Gaza below Israeli navy management.
A U.N. company workplace is ready ablaze
The shuttered headquarters of the U.N. company for Palestinian refugees in east Jerusalem was set ablaze in a single day, days after Israeli bulldozers demolished elements of the compound.
It was not recognized who began the fireplace. Israeli settlers have been noticed at evening looting the principle constructing for furnishings, stated Roland Friedrich, the company’s West Financial institution director. He stated a number of holes have been reduce within the fence.
Israel’s fireplace division stated it despatched groups to forestall the blaze from spreading. In Could 2024, UNRWA stated it was closing its compound after settlers set fires to its fence.
Commissioner-Normal Philippe Lazzarini of the company, also called UNRWA, instructed The Related Press the incident was the “latest attack on the U.N. in the ongoing attempt to dismantle the status of Palestine refugees.”
UNRWA’s mandate is to supply support and providers to some 2.5 million Palestinian refugees in Gaza, the Israeli-occupied West Financial institution and east Jerusalem, in addition to 3 million extra refugees in Syria, Jordan and Lebanon. However its operations have been curtailed final 12 months when Israel’s Knesset handed laws severing ties and banning it from functioning in what it defines as Israel, together with east Jerusalem.
Israel has lengthy railed in opposition to the company, accusing it of being infiltrated by Hamas and alleging that a few of its workers have been concerned within the 2023 assault that triggered Israel’s two-year battle in Gaza. UNRWA leaders have stated they took swift motion in opposition to the workers accused of collaborating within the assault, and have denied allegations that the company tolerates or collaborates with Hamas.
