Israel said it recovered the body of the final hostage held in Gaza, a milestone in efforts to advance a US-brokered ceasefire in the enclave.
Police officer Ran Gvili was killed fighting Hamas attackers on Oct. 7, 2023 — Israel had resisted moving ahead with the truce until his remains were retrieved.
For the first time since 2014, there are no Israeli hostages, dead or alive, in Gaza — “a reminder of the deep roots of this conflict and how difficult it could still be to shape a lasting peace,” the BBC wrote.
Israel also said Monday it will reopen a key border crossing between Gaza and Egypt, but the next steps of the peace plan center on more challenging tasks, including Hamas’ disarmament.