Israel Initiates Major Operation to Recover Final Hostage in Gaza

Post by : Bianca Suleiman

On Sunday, Israel announced a major military operation aimed at finding the last hostage in Gaza, Ran Gvili. This initiative coincides with efforts from the United States and other mediators urging both Israel and Hamas to expedite the next stages of the ceasefire agreement.

An Israeli Cabinet meeting focused on the potential opening of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt. Top U.S. officials previously convened with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to strategize the path ahead. The return of Gvili is regarded as a significant hurdle in facilitating the opening of the Rafah crossing and progressing to the second phase of a U.S.-facilitated ceasefire.

According to Netanyahu’s office: “Once this operation concludes, and in alignment with U.S. agreements, Israel will proceed to open the Rafah crossing.” Military sources have noted that the search could extend over several days.

The retrieval of all hostages, whether alive or deceased, is pivotal in the initial phase of the ceasefire that commenced on October 10. The last hostage was freed in early December.

For this task, Israel’s military is scouring a cemetery in northern Gaza close to the Yellow Line, indicating areas controlled by Israel. Another focus point for the search is the Shijaiya-Tuffah region of Gaza City, where rabbis and dental professionals are aiding the operation.

Gvili’s family has implored the government to refrain from progressing to the next phase of the ceasefire until his remains are recovered. Nonetheless, the Trump administration has already indicated that this next phase is in progress.

Israel holds Hamas accountable for delaying Gvili's recovery, while Hamas claims to have shared all available information and accused Israel of hindering searches in Israeli-controlled territories.

Additional Report: UN Agency Engulfed in Fire in East Jerusalem

Overnight, the UN’s agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) experienced a fire incident in east Jerusalem, occurring just days after parts of the facility were demolished by Israeli forces. The cause of the blaze remains unknown, but reports indicate Israeli settlers were observed removing furniture from the location. Fire crews from Israel managed to contain the flames.

UNRWA provides assistance to around 2.5 million Palestinian refugees across Gaza, the West Bank, and east Jerusalem, in addition to 3 million more in Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon. The agency condemned the fire as part of a continuing effort to undermine the status of Palestinian refugees.

Israel has long accused UNRWA of being compromised by Hamas infiltration, asserting that certain employees were involved in the 2023 attack that instigated the ongoing conflict in Gaza. UNRWA has denied these accusations, stating that any implicated personnel faced immediate consequences.