Hamas’ armed wing said it provided mediators with all information on the body of the last Israeli captive, as Israel launched a wide search operation in northern Gaza.
The armed wing of Hamas, the Al-Qassam Brigades, said on Sunday that it has provided mediators with all the information and details it possesses regarding the location of the body of the last Israeli captive held in Gaza, as Israeli forces confirmed they are conducting a large-scale search operation to recover the remains.
Abu Obeida, the newly appointed military spokesperson for the Al-Qassam Brigades, said Israeli search operations currently underway are based on information the group shared with mediators, stressing that this confirms the accuracy and transparency of Hamas’ position.
“The enemy’s search for the body of the captive soldier Ran Gvili in one of the locations, based on information we provided to the mediators, confirms the truth of what we have stated,” Abu Obeida said.
He added that Al-Qassam handled the file of captives and remains “with full transparency” and fulfilled all obligations stipulated under the ceasefire agreement, accusing Israel of failing to fully comply with the deal while continuing to commit repeated violations and attacks.
“We completed everything required of us under the ceasefire agreement and handed over all captives and remains as quickly as possible, without delay, despite Israel’s lack of commitment and the dozens of violations and massacres it committed,” he said.
Abu Obeida emphasized that the resistance is keen to close the file completely and has no interest in prolonging the process, noting that the work was carried out under “complex and near-impossible conditions” due to the extensive destruction across Gaza.
He called on mediators to assume their responsibilities and compel Israel to implement what was agreed upon.
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Israeli Search Operations
In response, Israeli officials confirmed that the army has launched an extensive operation to locate the body of Staff Sergeant Ran Gvili, who was reportedly killed on October 7, 2023, the day the Al-Aqsa Flood operation began.
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the military has been conducting searches in northern Gaza since the weekend and will continue the operation “as long as necessary.”
The Israeli army said it has begun a focused operation in the so-called “Yellow Line” area of northern Gaza to recover Gvili’s remains, urging the public to refrain from spreading rumors or misinformation that could harm the family or affect recovery efforts.
Israeli Army Radio reported that the search is taking place in a cemetery in northern Gaza, while Channel 12 said the operation began overnight in a burial area between the neighborhoods of al-Daraj, al-Tuffah, and al-Shuja’iyya, after Israeli authorities confirmed the credibility of intelligence information obtained earlier.
The newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported that Israeli soldiers are examining hundreds of bodies buried in the cemetery, with initial checks expected to include at least 170 remains, each reviewed individually. Israeli media said the operation is complex and may continue for several days.
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Previous Search Efforts
Israeli media previously reported that army agencies had identified possible leads regarding the location of Gvili’s body. On December 11, Israeli outlets said preliminary field checks had begun based on intelligence assessments.
Channel 12 reported that the area believed to be connected to the burial may be linked to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, which Israel claims carried out the capture of Gvili. The channel added that Israeli security officials believe Hamas could interrogate individuals involved to obtain further details, should it choose to do so.
An earlier Israeli search operation conducted on December 8 in the eastern al-Zaytoun neighborhood ended without locating the body.
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Political Timing and Rafah Crossing
The statements by Al-Qassam come at a politically sensitive moment, as Israel’s Security Cabinet convenes to discuss reopening the Rafah border crossing and moving forward with the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement.
Israeli and US officials have repeatedly linked progress on Rafah and the second phase of the agreement to the recovery of the body of the last Israeli captive, a linkage Hamas and Palestinian analysts say has been used to delay implementation of core ceasefire commitments.
Under the first phase of the ceasefire agreement, which came into effect on October 10, Palestinian resistance factions released all Israeli captives held alive and returned the remains of 27 others, leaving Gvili as the only outstanding case.
The second phase of the agreement includes provisions for a further Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza, the start of reconstruction efforts—estimated by the UN to cost around $70 billion—and negotiations over Gaza’s future governance.
Despite the ceasefire framework, Israeli attacks have continued across Gaza. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, the Israeli genocide starting in October 2023 has killed more than 71,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, and injured over 171,000, leaving the enclave in ruins.
(PC, AJA, AA, QNN, Israeli Media)
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