The Israeli military says it has recovered the body of the last hostage in the Gaza Strip, paving the way for the next phase of US President Donald Trump’s peace plan.

The search for Sergeant Ran Gviri has continued since the ceasefire with Hamas began in October.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Gviri’s return an “extraordinary achievement.”

Israeli forces began searching Gviri’s grave site on Sunday morning. The Hamas militant group said it had provided the mediator with “all details and information” about Ghuviri’s whereabouts.

This was announced by Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office. Israel will reopen Gaza’s key border crossing with Egypt Once the operation is complete finding and returning Gvili.

Prime Minister Netanyahu welcomed the return of Gviri’s body, saying: “We promised and I promised we would bring everyone back. We brought everyone back down to the last prisoner.”

The Israeli military announced over the weekend that the clarification of existing information enabled it to search a cemetery near Gaza City. Military officials said the cemetery was “located in the Yellow Line area,” the border of territory still controlled by Israeli forces under the cease-fire agreement.

Hamas said it “continued to provide the intermediaries with the necessary information, which led to the recovery of the bodies.”

Spokesman Hazem Qassem said the findings “confirm Hamas’ commitment to all requirements of the ceasefire agreement.”

Gviri’s recapture could mean a break with his family and finally bring an end to the suffering of the Israeli hostages after 843 days.

It also paves the way for further progress on the ceasefire agreement in Gaza. Israel resisted the advance until Gviri was found.

The second phase is intended to include the reconstruction and complete demilitarization of Gaza, including the disarmament of Hamas and other Palestinian groups. The plan also includes the deployment of the International Stabilization Force (ISF), which does not yet have a constitution, and the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.

On Friday, the Gviri family gathered in Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square, as they have every week since he and 250 others were kidnapped on October 7, 2023.

“I looked them in the eye and said, ‘We’re taking Rani home,'” Netanyahu recalled on Monday. “My fellow Israelis, I have made a promise to you: we will bring you all home.”

While this is a promise finally fulfilled and should be celebrated, his critics say it took too long and cost too many Israeli and Palestinian lives.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced Gviri’s rescue in a statement, saying: “According to the information and intelligence available to us, Major Ran Gviri, 24 years old at the time of death, a Yamam Special Forces fighter, fell in combat on the morning of October 7, 2023, and his body was abducted to the Gaza Strip.”

“The IDF shares the family’s grief. The IDF will continue to accompany the family and the returned hostages and act to strengthen the security of the Israeli people.”

“With this, all hostages in the Gaza Strip have been returned.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had sent soldiers to Gaza to return the hostages and defeat Hamas.

Opening the Rafah border crossing is an important next step, but other difficult issues also need to be addressed.

How can Hamas be disarmed and removed from the Gaza Strip? When will Israeli forces withdraw? And who will form the international force that will ensure future security?

It is the first time since 2014 that no Israeli hostages, living or dead, are being held in Gaza, a reminder of the deep roots of the conflict and how difficult it will be to forge a lasting peace.

Following the return of Ghuviri’s body, President Trump posted on Truth Social: “We just recovered the last hostage body in Gaza. So we got back all 20 living hostages and all the dead! Great job!”

“Most people thought it was impossible,” the president said, congratulating “a great champion team.”

Hamas planned to return all hostages, dead or alive, within 72 hours of the ceasefire taking effect. The process took much longer, but in the end the bodies of 20 living Israeli hostages and 27 dead Israeli and foreign hostages were handed over, leaving Gviri the only one missing.

The police officer was one of 251 hostages taken in the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed around 1,200 people. Most of the hostages were released alive over the next two years in exchange for 250 Palestinian prisoners of war and 1,718 Gaza detainees.

The Hamas-led Health Ministry said 71,660 Palestinians had been killed in Israeli military operations in Gaza launched in response to the attacks.