Gaza Recovery: Ran Gvili’s Body Found, Israel Declares Closure of Missing Persons File
Gaza City – Israeli forces have announced the recovery of the body of Ran Gvili from the Gaza Strip, following a comprehensive identification process by the National Center for Forensic Medicine. This discovery, according to Israeli statements, signifies the completion of efforts to return all individuals and bodies transferred from Gaza.
About Ran Gvili
Ran Gvili, a 24-year-old officer from the Israeli Police Special Patrol Unit (Yasam), was reportedly killed during confrontations on the morning of October 7, 2023, with his body subsequently transferred to the Gaza Strip. His family has been notified of the return of his remains for burial, following confirmation involving police and military religious authorities.
Intensive Search Operation
The recovery was the culmination of an extensive operation conducted in the Al-Sanafour area and around the Al-Batsh cemetery in Gaza. The mission, aimed at locating Gvili’s body, involved large-scale excavation work, including the reported exhumation of over 200 graves. Images captured by drones used in the search, purportedly showing a yellow line marking the precise search area, were reportedly released by an Israeli army radio military correspondent.
During the operation, these areas experienced heavy artillery shelling, gunfire from military vehicles, sniper activity, and the presence of quadcopter drones. Reports indicate that these actions resulted in several fatalities and dozens of injuries.
Political Context and Declaration of Closure
The recovery of Gvili’s body is presented by the Israeli army as the final piece in the file of returning all kidnapped individuals and their bodies from inside Gaza. This declaration carries significant political weight, indicating Israel’s view that its direct efforts to retrieve remains from the Gaza Strip have concluded.
It is noteworthy that under a previous ceasefire agreement in October, Hamas had reportedly handed over the bodies of all Israeli captives killed during captivity, with the exception of Ran Gvili’s remains, which had remained unaccounted for until this recent discovery.
