On Sunday, Israel announced that its military had initiated a significant operation aimed at locating the last remaining hostage in Gaza. This development comes amid increasing pressure from Washington and other international mediators urging both Israel and Hamas to transition into the next phase of their ceasefire agreement.
The situation escalated as Israel's cabinet convened to deliberate on the potential reopening of Gaza's crucial Rafah border crossing with Egypt. This meeting follows a recent visit by senior U.S. officials who discussed future steps with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Israel's insistence on securing the return of the final hostage, Ran Gvili, is widely regarded as the primary hurdle preventing the Rafah crossing from reopening and initiating the subsequent phase of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire. Late Sunday, a statement from Netanyahu's office indicated that once this search effort reaches its conclusion, and in alignment with agreements made with the United States, Israel would proceed to open the Rafah crossing.
The return of all hostages, whether alive or deceased, has been a pivotal aspect of the initial phase of the ceasefire that started on October 10. The last hostage was retrieved in early December. Although Israel has previously conducted searches for Gvili, details about this particular operation have been more extensive than usual. The Israeli military disclosed that it was examining a cemetery in northern Gaza near the so-called "yellow line," which delineates areas under Israeli control.
In a separate statement, an Israeli military official revealed that Gvili may be buried in the Shuja’iya-Daraj Tuffah region, where specialized search teams, including rabbis and dental experts, are currently deployed. This official spoke anonymously, as they were discussing an ongoing operation. Gvili’s family has urged the government not to advance to the second phase of the ceasefire until his remains are located and returned.
However, the pressure is mounting, with the Trump administration recently declaring that the second phase of the ceasefire has already commenced. Israel has frequently accused Hamas of delaying the recovery of the last hostage, while Hamas claimed on Sunday that it had shared all available information concerning Gvili’s remains and accused Israel of hindering search efforts in areas controlled by the Israeli military.
In a related incident, the headquarters of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees in East Jerusalem was set ablaze overnight, just days after Israeli bulldozers demolished parts of the compound. It remains unclear who started the fire; however, reports suggest that Israeli settlers were seen looting furniture from the main building.
The Israeli fire department responded by dispatching teams to contain the blaze. In May 2024, UNRWA announced the closure of its compound following previous incidents of arson by settlers. Philippe Lazzarini, the commissioner-general of UNRWA, described the fire as part of a broader attack on the UN and an ongoing effort to undermine the status of Palestinian refugees.
UNRWA's mandate involves providing vital aid and services to approximately 2.5 million Palestinian refugees across Gaza, the Israeli-occupied West Bank, and East Jerusalem, along with an additional 3 million refugees in Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon. However, operations faced significant challenges last year when Israel's Knesset enacted legislation severing ties with the agency and prohibiting it from functioning within what Israel defines as its territory, including East Jerusalem.
For years, Israel has criticized UNRWA, alleging that it has been infiltrated by Hamas and claiming that some of its staff were involved in the attacks that sparked the ongoing conflict in Gaza. UNRWA leadership has asserted that they took immediate action against any employees alleged to be involved and denied claims that the agency either tolerates or collaborates with Hamas.
