Source: Philadelphia Inquirer
“Israel said Sunday its military was conducting a ‘large-scale operation’ to locate the last hostage in Gaza, as Washington and other mediators pressure Israel and Hamas to move into the next phase of their ceasefire. The statement came as Israel’s cabinet met to discuss the possibility of opening Gaza’s key Rafah border crossing with Egypt, and a day after top U.S. envoys met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about next steps. The return of the body of the remaining hostage, Ran Gvili, has been widely [used as an excuse to not move] ahead with opening the Rafah crossing, which would signal the ceasefire’s second phase. … Hamas in a statement Sunday said it had provided all the information it had about Gvili’s remains, and accused Israel of obstructing efforts to search for them in areas of Gaza under Israeli military control.” (01/25/26)