The body of the last Israeli hostage has been found, Hamas emphasizes the commitment to the ceasefire

JAKARTA - The Palestinian militant group Hamas reaffirmed its commitment to the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip, when the body of the last Israeli hostage was found and immediately repatriated to his country.

After a search in a cemetery in the east of Gaza City. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said the body of Sergeant Major Ran Gvili had been found and identified, quoted from The Times of Israel (26/1).

Gvili's family was given the latest news by military representatives that his body would be brought back to Israel for burial.

Gvili, a 24-year-old policeman, was killed while defending Kibbutz Alumim in southern Israel during a Hamas-led offensive on October 7, 2023, which triggered the war in Gaza.

Gvili's body was found in the Gaza City cemetery, identified through dental and fingerprint matching. A total of 250 bodies were examined, all of which were returned to their graves.

Previously, the IDF began exhuming hundreds of bodies at a Muslim cemetery in the east of Gaza City over the weekend, and to date, has tested around 250 of them for possible matches with Gvili.

A few hours ago, the dentist stationed at the cemetery was able to confirm that the tooth structure of one of the bodies matched that of Gvili. In addition, fingerprints and other tests were carried out to confirm his identity, according to the military.

Gvili's body is now being brought back to Israel for burial.

The IDF said it would return all other exhumed bodies to their graves and clean the cemetery, in honor of those who had died.

The body of the last hostage held in the Gaza Strip, Police Major Ran Gvili, was identified at the scene by Israeli forensic experts, according to the military.

Gvili is the last hostage not to have been returned since the Hamas-led invasion and massacre on October 7, 2023 in southern Israel, in which 251 hostages were abducted.

With the return of Gvili's body, it means that there are no more hostages in the Gaza Strip.

Separately. Hamas said the return of the body of Sergeant Major Ran Gvili proved its commitment to the terms of the ceasefire in Gaza.

"The discovery of the body of the last Israeli captive in Gaza confirms Hamas' commitment to all the terms of the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip, including the exchange of prisoners," Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said in a statement.

"Hamas will continue to abide by all aspects of the agreement, including facilitating the work of the National Committee for Gaza Administration and ensuring its success. We call on the mediators and the United States to force the 'occupation' to stop violating the agreement and carry out the required obligations," he added.

It is known that the discovery and repatriation of the bodies is the key to the next phase of the ceasefire in Gaza. Israel is reluctant to continue the next phase of the ceasefire in Gaza, before all the hostages, including the bodies of hostages, are returned.

On Sunday, the Israeli Prime Minister's Office of Benjamin Netanyahu said that the Israeli crossing with Gaza, Palestine, through Rafah would be reopened, after all the hostages were successfully repatriated.