Israel marks the return of the remnants of the last hostages after more than two years of war and mourning

JERUSALEM (AP) — For more than two years, Israelis have pinned yellow ribbons to their lapels and gathered to remember the hostages kidnapped on the deadliest day in the country’s history. But in a sign of the end of a painful chapter, they removed their ribbons and turned off the clock that tracks the duration of the hostages’ captivity in Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square on Tuesday.

October 7, 2023 The return of 24-year-old police officer Ran Gwili, who was killed fighting Hamas militants in a Hamas attack on Israel, fulfilled nationwide hopes for the return of all hostages, alive or dead.

But before the country could remember him, and ahead of his funeral on Wednesday, forensic teams combed a grave in northern Gaza, working to locate, exhume and identify his remains as part of a massive effort involving search teams, intelligence officers and forensic dentists.

The October 2025 ceasefire required Hamas to return 20 living hostages and the remains of 28 dead in the first phase of the deal. The surviving hostages and the remains of the four dead were handed over on the day the ceasefire took effect. Efforts for further recovery became a sticking point after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tied the reopening of the border crossing in the southern Gaza city of Rafah to their return. Under the terms of the agreement, Israel promised to return the remains of 15 Palestinians in its custody for every Israeli body.

A spokesman for Israel’s domestic security service, the Shin Bet, said investigators had a breakthrough after questioning a member of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, whose information helped corroborate intelligence that led them to Givili’s remains. The Shin Bet said the body was moved several times.

“More than 20 dentists from the unit worked together for more than 24 hours, scanning nearly 250 bodies until Master Sergeant Ran Gwili was identified,” said a military official, speaking on condition of anonymity under Army protocol.

On Tuesday, thousands of people watched and some cheered in Hostage Square as the clock stopped at 843 days, 12 hours, 5 minutes and 59 seconds — a bittersweet end to what has become the centerpiece of the campaign to free the hostages.

“It’s happy and sad, we were hoping for a miracle, even though all the signs pointed the other way, he would come back alive, but it’s such a relief that it’s finally over,” said Karen Gaffen Solomon, who is involved in the protest movement for the hostages. “This has been the most important thing in our lives for the past two years and two months.”

Disputed Accounts

Militant groups in Gaza have disputed Israel’s story of how Gavili’s body was found, with both Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad saying they had informed Israel they had found the remains.

Saraya al-Quds, the Islamic Jihad’s military wing, shared coordination with Israel through Arab intermediaries and accused Israel of delaying the search. Hamas has also said that it has given information.

Palestinians living nearby said remains exhumed during the search were left uncovered in the cemetery without being reburied.

“Our dead are in the open. They left them buried or covered with mud,” said Mohammad Matar, whose relatives are buried in the cemetery. He and others said they tried to reach the area on Tuesday but were rebuffed by Israeli forces. Two people were killed in an Israeli drone strike while trying to reach the area and were taken to Shifa Hospital where they were pronounced dead, according to hospital officials.

Israel’s military said it was unaware of the attack and warned against relying on unconfirmed reports.

Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassam said on Tuesday that Israeli forces had excavated “hundreds of graves” and called it an example of disrespect.

Human remains have deep significance in both Judaism and Islam, which emphasize quick burial and respect for the body.

‘It has to be better’

Israeli President Isaac Herzog called the return of Gwili’s remains “full circle” for Israel, while US Ambassador Steve Witkoff on Tuesday called it “a new day in the Middle East”. But in Gaza, families sheltering in tents without fuel for heat felt today like yesterday.

In Khan Yunis, they questioned whether their lives would improve quickly as the cease-fire agreement moved into phase two, with some doubting whether Israel would follow through on the promised breakthrough.

“The crossing is expected to open now that the body of the last soldier has been found,” said Ali Abu al-Ish, a former resident of Rafah. “Why is it still closed? We have too many patients here. Things have to be better than this. Enough.”

“Why are Hamas and Israel stalling?” Ayda Abu Dheisha said. “Let them make a deal and let this be the solution for us. We want to go back to our land and our home.”

Both are among the nearly one million former residents displaced from Rafah, which has become an Israeli military zone. Israeli officials have said the crossing is expected to reopen in a limited fashion after Gvili’s return.

The main question remains unanswered

Israel said Rafah would initially be opened only to people, not goods, who continue to enter Gaza through crossings from Israel. But it offered few details on who might be eligible to pass and whether departures would be limited to medical evacuees. It also remains unclear when aid from Egypt will be allowed to enter.

Neither side backed away from the four-month-old truce in its initial stages, as international mediators pressed Israel and Hamas for further steps. They are expected to be more challenging. In addition to reopening Rafah, they also include demilitarizing the Strip after nearly two decades of Hamas rule.

President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan, published in October, left details vague and key questions unanswered about the next phase of the ceasefire. They include when Israel can allow a Palestinian technical committee meeting in Cairo to enter Gaza, and when Israeli forces can withdraw from areas currently under its control, allowing displaced Palestinians to return.

Other uncertainties include how any new regime will be implemented and monitored, and what conditions need to be met before large-scale reconstruction.

Gaza’s health ministry has recorded 488 deaths since a cease-fire began on both sides of the Yellow Line, which was withdrawn by Israeli forces in October. The ministry, which is part of the Hamas-led government, keeps casualty records generally viewed as reliable by UN agencies and independent experts.

Hospitals and the ministry continue to report new deaths almost every day, although the pace has slowed since the ceasefire, bringing the total death toll to 71,662 as of Tuesday.

The ministry said on Tuesday that about 20,000 Palestinians from Gaza needed to be medically evacuated. Departures to Egypt are expected to be among the first movements allowed through the Rafah crossing.

___ Magdy reported from Cairo. Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv and Natalie Meltzer in Nahariya, Israel contributed.

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