Daijiworld Media Network - Jerusalem
Jerusalem, Jan 26: Israel on Sunday said its military has launched a “large-scale operation” in Gaza to locate the last remaining hostage, as pressure mounts from the United States and other mediators to move ahead with the next phase of the ceasefire with Hamas.
The announcement came as Israel’s Cabinet met to discuss the possible opening of Gaza’s key Rafah border crossing with Egypt, and a day after senior US envoys held talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the future course of the ceasefire.
The recovery of the final hostage, Ran Gvili, is widely seen as the last hurdle before Israel proceeds with opening the Rafah crossing and advancing the second phase of the US-brokered truce. Late Sunday, Netanyahu’s office said Israel would open the Rafah crossing once the ongoing military operation is completed, in line with understandings reached with Washington. No timeline was given, though Israeli military officials told local media the search could take several days.
The return of all remaining hostages, alive or dead, is a central element of the ceasefire’s first phase, which came into effect on October 10. The previous hostage was recovered in early December.
In an unusual move, Israel released more details about the current search operation. The military said it was combing a cemetery in northern Gaza near the Yellow Line, which marks Israeli-controlled areas. An Israeli military official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Gvili may have been buried in the Shijaiya-Tuffah area of Gaza City, with rabbis and dental experts assisting specialised search teams on the ground.
Gvili’s family has urged the Israeli government not to proceed to the second phase of the ceasefire until his remains are returned. However, pressure has been growing, with the Trump administration stating in recent days that the second phase is already under way.
Israel has repeatedly accused Hamas of delaying efforts to recover the final hostage. Hamas, in a statement on Sunday, said it had shared all available information regarding Gvili’s remains and accused Israel of obstructing search efforts in areas under Israeli military control.
Meanwhile, tensions escalated in east Jerusalem after the shuttered headquarters of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) was set ablaze overnight, days after Israeli bulldozers demolished parts of the compound.
It remains unclear who started the fire. UNRWA’s West Bank director Roland Friedrich said Israeli settlers were seen looting furniture from the main building at night and that several holes had been cut in the compound’s fence. Israel’s fire department said crews were deployed to prevent the blaze from spreading.
UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini described the incident as the “latest attack on the UN” and part of a broader attempt to dismantle the status of Palestinian refugees. The agency provides aid and services to around 2.5 million Palestinian refugees in Gaza, the West Bank and east Jerusalem, as well as millions more in Syria, Jordan and Lebanon.
Israel has long accused UNRWA of being infiltrated by Hamas and has alleged that some of its employees were involved in the 2023 attack that sparked the ongoing Gaza war. UNRWA has denied these allegations, saying it took swift action against those accused and does not tolerate collaboration with militant groups.