For the first time in more than a decade, Gaza holds no Israeli hostages. That fact may move the peace plan created by Donald Trump to its second general phase, but it's worth contemplating on its own, especially for those who insist that cease-fire deals with Hamas mean peace. And in fact, that does have implications for Phase 2 as well.
The Israelis finally found the remains of Sergeant Major Ran Givli, but not because Hamas finally fulfilled its obligations under the Trump peace plan. The IDF had to find Givli's remains on their own in a northern Gaza cemetery:
Israel says the remains of the final hostage in Gaza have been recovered, clearing the way for the next phase of the ceasefire that stopped the Israel-Hamas war.
Monday’s announcement came a day after Israel’s government said the military was conducting a “large-scale operation” in a cemetery in northern Gaza to locate the remains of Ran Gvili.
The return of all remaining hostages, living or dead, has been a key part of the Gaza ceasefire’s first phase, and Gvili’s family had urged Israel’s government not to enter the second phase until his remains were recovered and returned. ...
Israel had repeatedly accused Hamas of dragging its feet in the recovery of the final hostage. Hamas had 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.
Givli's body had been captured by Hamas on October 7. According to Israeli foreign minister Gideon Sa'ar, Givli had been in a hospital awaiting surgery when Hamas launched its attack of wanton murder and rape in their Al-Aqsa Flood attack. Givli left the hospital and went to his unit on the front lines, only to die for his country in the first hours of the war.
The IDF confirmed that the discovery means that Gaza is finally hostage-free, as did Israeli president Isaac Herzog in removing the yellow hostage pin he has worn for almost twelve years:
There are officially no more hostages in captivity in Gaza.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) January 26, 2026
רני גואילי הגיבור שב לנוף מולדתו לאחר 843 יום! לוחם היס״מ שיצא להציל חיים - סוף סוף חוזר למדינתו, משפחתו ולאדמתו.
— יצחק הרצוג Isaac Herzog (@Isaac_Herzog) January 26, 2026
עם שלם מתרגש עד דמעות. הלב של כולנו עם הוריו טליק ואיציק, והמשפחה כולה, שנאבקו מאבק אצילי והירואי להחזרתו.
תודה מקרב לב לכל מי שהיה מעורב בהשבתו של רני. תודה על… pic.twitter.com/ABDNsy01BA
"Gvili, the hero, returns to his homeland after 843 days," President Isaac Herzog wrote on X.
"The Special Patrol Unit officer who went out to save lives finally returns to his country, his family, and his land. An entire nation is moved to tears. All our hearts are with his parents, and the entire family, who waged a noble and heroic battle for his return," he added.
"From the bottom of our hearts, thanks to everyone who was involved in bringing him home. Thank you for an unprecedented operation and fulfilling the sacred mitzvah of redeeming captives," he continued.
"Since 2014, and after many long and difficult years, there is no longer an Israeli citizen in the Gaza Strip. An entire nation prayed and waited for this moment, and now the circle has been closed," he concluded.
Indeed. And may the soul of Sgt. Major Givli finally rest in peace, and may his family, friends, and country find comfort in his return to the nation he loved.
That, however, brings the situation back to its crux in what many refer to as Phase 2. The surrender of all hostages living and dead only fulfills the Phase 1 steps. In order to proceed with the IDF's withdrawal in Phase 2, Hamas has to fully disarm and surrender all control in Gaza. Will they do so? Israel has indicated that it will comply with the terms of Trump's peace plan now that the final hostage has been returned, but only if their security needs are met:
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced Sunday evening that Israel will reopen the Rafah Crossing between Gaza and Egypt after it completes a military operation that aims to recover the body of the last deceased hostage, Master Sgt. Ran Gvili.
The announcement followed a security cabinet meeting on the issue, and with Israel facing significant international pressure to reopen the Rafah Crossing. ...
Israel has resisted moving forward with phase two of Trump’s peace plan — which provides for Hamas to disarm, and includes reopening the Rafah Crossing — before Gvili’s body has been returned. Hamas has maintained that it does not know the exact location of his remains and has made attempts to search for them.
The reopening of Rafah is point 8 on Trump's 20-point plan. Hamas' disarmament is point 6. Will Israel move forward with point 8 before point 6 takes place? Trump is already on point 9 with his Board of Peace, which has been expanded beyond Gaza to other conflicts, especially Ukraine. The problem is that point 9 cannot succeed without accomplishing point 6, which proposes a technocratic government independent of Hamas:
9. Gaza will be governed under the temporary transitional governance of a technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee, responsible for delivering the day-to-day running of public services and municipalities for the people in Gaza. This committee will be made up of qualified Palestinians and international experts, with oversight and supervision by a new international transitional body, the “Board of Peace,” which will be headed and chaired by President Donald J. Trump, with other members and heads of state to be announced, including former prime minister Tony Blair. This body will set the framework and handle the funding for the redevelopment of Gaza until such time as the Palestinian Authority has completed its reform program, as outlined in various proposals, including President Trump’s peace plan in 2020 and the Saudi-French proposal, and can securely and effectively take back control of Gaza. This body will call on best international standards to create modern and efficient governance that serves the people of Gaza and is conducive to attracting investment.
As long as Hamas remains as an armed force in Gaza, there is zero chance for success for this point. Zero. Attempts to deploy point 9 without accomplishing point 6 will result in a "technocratic, apolitical" Gaza government that is completely co-opted by Hamas. Until Hamas is disarmed, no other Arab country will supply troops to stabilize Gaza, either.
This is the core of the contradiction in Trump's peace plan. Now that the final hostage has returned to Israel, the contradiction must be resolved, or we will be right back to the status quo ante of October 6, 2023, and it will tee up another massively destructive war sooner or later, and much likely sooner.
