No more hostages in Gaza, confirms Israel
Tel Aviv, January 26
The Israel Defence Forces on Monday announced that there were officially no more Israeli hostages in Gaza.
Ran Gvili, a slain Israeli police officer's mortal remains have been identified and will be returned for burial, the IDF announced.
In a post on X, the IDF said, "There are officially no more hostages in captivity in Gaza."
"The deceased hostage SFC Ran Gvili has been identified and will be returned for burial. According to the information and intelligence available to us, SFC Ran Gvili, 24, who served in the Israeli Police Special Forces, fell in combat on the morning of Oct 7, 2023, and his body was abducted to Gaza. The IDF expresses deep condolences to family. The IDF will continue to support the families and the returnees, and to act to strengthen the security of the citizens of Israel," the IDF stated.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that he fulfilled his promise of having no hostages in Gaza.
"There are no more hostages in Gaza. I promised you, citizens of Israel - we will bring them all back home," he said in a post on X.
It marked the first time since 2014 that there were no Israeli hostages in the enclave, CNN reported.
Israel had put a condition that the full opening of the Rafah crossing and advancement to the second phase of the Gaza peace plan would be done only post retrieval and return of all of the living and deceased hostages, as per CNN.
Meanwhile, Al Jazeera quoted Hamas as saying that in return for providing all necessary information to mediators and to Israel for the successful return of all the captives held in Gaza, Israel must keep up its end of the bargain, "especially the opening of the Rafah crossing in both directions without restrictions, the entry of the Gaza Strip's needs in the required quantities, the lifting of the ban on any of them, the complete withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, and facilitating the work of the National Committee for the Administration of the Gaza Strip."
— ANI
Reader Comments
A promise kept by Netanyahu. India understands the pain of terrorism and the importance of bringing every citizen home, alive or deceased. Our condolences to the family of Ran Gvili. Jai Hind.
Now Israel must honor its part of the deal as Hamas mentioned. Opening Rafah crossing fully is crucial for humanitarian aid. The world is watching. This should be the first step towards de-escalation.
A young life lost at 24. So tragic. As an outsider, I hope this milestone leads to real dialogue. The cycle of violence helps no one. My heart goes out to all families who have lost someone in this conflict.
While this is good news, the article mentions the condition for the peace plan. The "complete withdrawal from Gaza" demand by Hamas seems like a major sticking point. The hard part of negotiation starts now. Let's see if diplomacy wins.
Respectfully, the framing feels one-sided. The article leads with Israel's announcement but buries Hamas's conditions for cooperation. A balanced report would give equal weight to both sides' statements, especially when discussing terms for peace.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.