Israel News for 1-26-2026

News Update

The IDF announced today that the body of the last hostage held in Gaza, Ran Gvili, had been identified and returned.  Staff Sergeant Gvili, 24, a member of the Yassam anti-terrorist police unit, fell in battle fighting Hamas terrorists near Kibbutz Alumim on October 7, 2023. His body was abducted to Gaza and eventually buried in a Moslem cemetery in northern Gaza, under a Moslem name. All hostages, living and dead, have now been returned to Israel.

Kicking off phase 2 of the ceasefire agreement, Israel is opening the Rafah Crossing to civilians. Egypt will run the crossing, a European Union mission will carry out inspections and identification, and Israel will oversee the process remotely through cameras and monitoring systems, without a physical presence on site. For more, click here. 

Now Hamas needs to be disarmed.