Israel Intensifies Operations for Last Hostage in Gaza

On Sunday, Israel declared it is conducting a “large-scale operation” to find the last hostage in Gaza, Ran Gvili. This operation unfolds amid ongoing efforts by the United States and other negotiators urging both Israel and Hamas to proceed to the next phase of the ceasefire.

An Israeli Cabinet meeting addressed the potential reopening of Gaza’s crucial Rafah border crossing with Egypt. Just the day prior, senior U.S. officials engaged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss upcoming actions. Gvili’s return is viewed as a primary hurdle to facilitate the Rafah crossing and to move ahead with the second phase of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire.

The office of Netanyahu conveyed: “Once this operation is concluded, and in alignment with discussions held with the U.S., Israel will proceed to open the Rafah crossing.” Military sources suggested that the operation might span several days.

Recovering all hostages, whether alive or deceased, is vital to the first phase of the ceasefire that began on October 10. The prior hostage was recovered in early December.

For this mission, Israel’s military is searching a cemetery in northern Gaza near the Yellow Line, which marks territories under Israeli control. Another possible search site is the Shijaiya-Tuffah area in Gaza City, where rabbis and dental experts are aiding the search teams.

Gvili’s family has implored the government to delay moving to the next phase of the ceasefire until his remains are returned. Despite this, indications from the Trump administration suggest the second phase is already in progress.

Israeli authorities have accused Hamas of hindering Gvili’s recovery. In response, Hamas has claimed it has provided all necessary information and accused Israel of obstructing operations in areas it controls.

Additional Incident: UN Agency Fire in East Jerusalem

Overnight, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) in East Jerusalem was set ablaze, following recent demolitions of parts of the compound by Israel. The cause of the fire remains unclear. Reports indicated that Israeli settlers were seen looting items from the site, while Israeli fire crews contained the fire.

UNRWA serves 2.5 million Palestinian refugees in Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem, along with 3 million more in Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon. The agency condemned the fire as the “latest assault on the U.N. in the ongoing effort to undermine the status of Palestinian refugees.”

Israel has frequently claimed that UNRWA is infiltrated by Hamas, asserting that some staff members were linked to the 2023 attack that instigated the two-year conflict in Gaza. UNRWA has denied these allegations and confirmed that those accused faced prompt disciplinary actions.