Israel has found the body of the last hostage held in Gaza, the army said today, quoted by Reuters, fulfilling a key condition of the first stage of the US president's plan to end the war in Gaza, BTA reports.
The remains of policeman Ran Gwilyi have been identified and will be handed over to his family for burial, the army said in a statement.
Israel said it would open the "Rafah" border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt – “the enclave's main gateway to the world“ – immediately after the return of Gwilyi's remains or the completion of the operation to search for his body.
Gwilyi's body was held in Gaza after he was killed in Kibbutz Alumim in a "Hamas" attack in southern Israel on October 7, 2023.
"Hamas" and Israel reached a ceasefire agreement in October last year under pressure from regional powers and US President Donald Trump, who called the agreement "the first step towards a stable, lasting and everlasting peace."