The operation is one of many, most of them covert. According to the military, there were several intelligence leads regarding Gvili’s location, and forces are now acting on one indication that he was buried in a cemetery between the Daraj Tuffah and Shijaiyah neighborhoods of Gaza City, along the so-called Yellow Line, east of it, in an area under Israeli military control.
2 View gallery
Ran Gvili and previous searches this month carried out by Hamas in Gaza
(Photo: AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
The operation is being led by the commander of the Alexandroni Brigade, with Battalion 75 and engineering forces, along with doctors, including a dentist, and representatives of the military rabbinate who are tasked with assisting in identification if and when remains are found. Identification through dental records is considered the fastest method. The dentist is operating with a portable X-ray unit in the field. Part of the security force is deployed slightly beyond the Yellow Line.
The cemetery contains hundreds of bodies. The IDF has prepared a full mental health support plan for the soldiers searching among the remains. In the first phase of the search alone, 170 bodies are being examined individually.
IDF officials said Sunday evening: "We hope the intelligence we have indicating he is there proves correct, and if not, we will exhaust and examine other directions." The intelligence regarding the cemetery has been in the military’s possession for some time and has recently been reinforced by previous operations. The information was passed to mediators and from them to Hamas, which said it appeared that Gvili was indeed buried there. The operation will continue until searches of the cemetery are fully exhausted and could last several days.
According to one IDF assessment, Gvili was buried there because the terror group that abducted him believed he was Palestinian, apparently due to the dark uniform he was wearing on October 7. "We did not identify that Hamas made an especially vigorous effort to locate him in recent weeks," the military said, adding that Hamas likely issued its announcement Sunday in order to "take credit" and claim it helped prompt the search.
An IDF spokesperson said: "IDF forces under Southern Command have begun a focused operation in the Yellow Line area in northern Gaza to bring back the last fallen hostage in the Gaza Strip, Sgt. First Class Ran Gvili. The IDF calls on the public to refrain from spreading rumors and unverified reports that could harm the Gvili family and the efforts to bring him back. The IDF will continue to employ all efforts until Sgt. First Class Ran Gvili is returned for burial in the State of Israel."
At the same time as the IDF briefing, the Prime Minister’s Office said: "Since the weekend, IDF forces have been conducting a large-scale operation to locate the fallen hostage, Sgt. First Class Rani Gvili. The operation is taking place at a cemetery in northern Gaza and includes extensive search activity while fully utilizing all intelligence information in our possession. This effort will continue as long as necessary. The State of Israel is determined to return Rani Gvili for burial in Israel. His family is being continuously updated and is familiar with the details of the operation."
Cabinet debates Rafah crossing
Meanwhile, the security cabinet convened to discuss the U.S. demand to reopen the Rafah crossing, even before Gvili is returned for burial in Israel. Several ministers, led by Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, oppose the move, arguing that it is a "symbol" that must not be relinquished before the return of the last fallen hostage. Against the backdrop of the expected sharp dispute, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened coalition party leaders for a preliminary discussion ahead of the cabinet meeting.
Despite the expected opposition, the United States is pressing for the crossing to reopen, a move mediators have already said would take place this week, making approval appear likely. Just before the cabinet discussion, a spokesman for Hamas’ military wing said that following information it provided to mediators, the IDF was now searching for Ran Gvili at a specific location in the Gaza Strip.
Sgt. First Class Ran Gvili, 24, from the town of Meitar, was killed in battle at Kibbutz Alumim and abducted by Hamas terrorists to Gaza. He is the last remaining hostage and has been held for 842 days.
Gvili served as a fighter in the Negev unit of the Israel Police’s Border Police in the Southern District. On October 7, he went into combat while injured, with a broken shoulder, after a motorcycle accident and while awaiting surgery. He managed to save the lives of dozens of participants at the Nova music festival near Re’im before he was killed and his body was taken to Gaza.
Elisha Ben Kimon contributed to this report.