All hostages kidnapped by Hamas are back in Israel.Image: keystone
January 26, 2026, 4:19 p.mJanuary 26, 2026, 4:19 p.m
All hostages kidnapped by Hamas are back in Israel: the body of police officer Ran Gvili has been identified and brought to Israel, the Israeli army said. The Israeli military had previously searched for the last dead hostage in a cemetery in the Gaza Strip. According to its own statements, the terrorist organization Hamas had provided the mediators of the Gaza agreement with all the information necessary to find the body.
“The entire people of Israel are moved to tears,” said Israeli President Izchak Herzog. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also expressed relief. “There are no more hostages in the Gaza Strip,” he said in parliament.
Examinations since the weekend
Several Israeli media outlets reported that Israeli forces had been examining the remains of around 250 people at the cemetery since the weekend. A few hours ago, Gvili’s body was identified by her tooth structure, the Times of Israel reported. Further tests were then carried out to confirm his identity. All other bodies would be returned to their graves and the cemetery would be cleaned, the report continued.
Once Israel has handed over the bodies of 15 Palestinians in return, the conditions for entering the second phase of the US-driven Gaza peace plan will be officially met.
The US government had already announced the second phase, which should lead to a final end to the Gaza war. The Israeli government, however, said it would only enter the next phase of the peace plan once the body of the last hostage had been returned to Israel. The Gaza war was triggered by the Hamas massacre in Israel on October 7, 2023.
These points of the peace plan have been implemented so far
As a first step, as part of the US peace plan, a ceasefire between Israel and the terrorist organization Hamas came into force on October 10, 2025. In addition, Islamist groups in the Gaza Strip released the last 20 living hostages kidnapped from Israel, including people with German citizenship. In return, Israel released almost 2,000 Palestinian prisoners from prison.
Hamas also handed over the last 28 hostage bodies – but contrary to what had been agreed, only very slowly. Among the dead were several foreigners kidnapped from Israel. For each dead Israeli hostage, Israel handed over the remains of 15 deceased residents of Gaza, a total of 360 so far. The exact circumstances of the Palestinians’ deaths are not known.
As part of the hard-won agreement, more aid is coming to the Gaza Strip. Israeli soldiers also withdrew behind the so-called “yellow line” in the coastal strip. Israel’s army still controls a little more than half of the Palestinian territory.
Hamas should now be disarmed
The second phase of the agreement, which has already been announced by the USA, now provides for the disarmament of Hamas, which the Islamist organization has so far rejected. According to observers, a compromise is conceivable so that the Islamists could forego rockets. Hamas members who commit to peaceful coexistence with Israel and lay down their weapons should receive amnesty. If there is no agreement on this difficult issue, war could break out again.
Transitional government and other Gaza committees formed
As part of the second phase, the 14 members of a Palestinian transitional government were recently announced, which will administer the Gaza Strip, which has been largely destroyed in two years of war.
To support this government of experts who are said to have no connection to the Islamist Hamas, a body called the “Gaza Executive Board” was set up. This includes, among others, US special envoy Steve Witkoff, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and senior Qatari diplomat Ali Thawadi. The inclusion of prominent representatives from Qatar and Turkey angers Israel. Both countries are considered supporters of Hamas. However, they reportedly persuaded Hamas to agree to the Gaza agreement.
Another new body, the Executive Committee, will also oversee the new Palestinian transitional government and also manage reconstruction in the destroyed Gaza Strip. The so-called “Founding Executive Board” includes, among others, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, World Bank President Ajay Banga, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner as well as Witkoff and Blair.
“Peace Council” is supposed to monitor the peace process in Gaza
All of these bodies report to the so-called “Peace Council,” which will be made up of world leaders and led by US President Donald Trump. This “Peace Council” is intended to monitor the peace process in the Gaza Strip. Contrary to what was initially expected, he will also take care of other international conflicts. Observers see it as competition to the United Nations. Many European countries, including Germany, reject joining. Hungary, Israel, Belarus, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey are among those taking part.
International troops to replace Israel’s army in Gaza
The “Peace Council” should also set up an international stabilization force (ISF) to ensure order in the Gaza Strip. However, their exact composition is still unclear. However, several Muslim-majority countries had already signaled their willingness to provide soldiers, such as Indonesia and Pakistan. Germany does not intend to participate militarily in the ISF.
Israel’s army should withdraw from the Gaza Strip and gradually hand over previously held areas to the ISF. There is not yet a concrete schedule for all of these points.
It is uncertain whether the transition to the second phase will actually be successful. The differences between the warring parties are huge. The ceasefire in the Gaza war had already shaken several times in the first phase. (sda/dpa)