During a long and winding press conference on Tuesday night, a brief statement by US President Donald Trump fundamentally changed the equation for the transition to the second phase of his Gaza peace deal.
In a White House press conference, Trump revealed that the US believes it knows where St.-Sgt.-Maj. Ran Gvili’s body is being held in Gaza. This revelation, after months of efforts by Israel and mediators to locate the remains among the ruins of Gaza, should have brought about immediate action in Israel. Instead, Jerusalem appears hesitant to respond, remaining silent.
Why? Because the truth is that if Washington has credible intelligence about Gvili’s location, there is no justification for proceeding with further stages of the Gaza deal without first demanding his immediate return to Israel for burial.
Gvili’s mother, Talik, said as much in a statement issued shortly after America’s president’s remarks. “Trump’s statement confirms what we have been saying for the past three months: Hamas knows exactly where our son is and has knowingly and deliberately violated President Trump’s framework and the agreement to return all hostages.”
“The responsibility now lies with the government of Israel and the US administration to exert the full weight of their authority to ensure that Hamas fulfills its obligations under the agreement, or guarantee that serious sanctions are imposed on Hamas,” she added.
Her demand is not only reasonable, but it is also essential.
Hamas has continued to claim it provided all the information it possesses regarding Gvili, insisting it does not know where his remains are located. These claims ring hollow, as similar assertions made by the terrorist group in the past have later been proven false, in some cases collapsing entirely on the same day following the eventual recovery of hostages’ remains.
Hamas lies as a matter of strategy, especially when delay serves its interests, as is clearly evident in this current predicament, where Gvili’s remains are the only issue blocking the terrorist group from being forcibly disarmed.
The return of fallen hostages is a core obligation
The return of fallen hostages is not a secondary issue to be postponed; it is a core obligation. Israel and the US should not allow themselves to be trapped in that pattern again.
At the same time, growing friction between Jerusalem and Washington is undermining the tactical clarity needed at this moment. Disagreements over Turkish and Qatari presence on the Gaza Board of Peace are important and must be reckoned with in the long term, but in the context of Gvili’s return, they are a distraction, as the conditions needed for advancing to the deal’s second phase have not yet been met.
This is precisely when Israel and the US must work in tandem. Strategic disagreements about Gaza’s future cannot be allowed to weaken resolve on the most basic demand that Trump’s entire deal is built on – the return of all hostages.
If the Americans know where Gvili’s body is being kept, then they have diplomatic, political, and economic leverage. This must be used immediately. Advancing to the next stage without securing his return would signal that even confirmed intelligence and explicit commitments can be set aside – a grave mistake.
Hamas must be made to understand that there will be no progress, no reconstruction discussions, and no political arrangements while it continues to violate its most basic obligations.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his cabinet must insist on this principle unequivocally. A government that does not fight for the return of all its slain hostages sends a devastating message to its citizens and soldiers.
Gvili must come home, not as a footnote, but as a prerequisite for any further steps. It is Israel’s duty as a nation and America’s responsibility as a partner and stakeholder in guaranteeing peace and stability in Gaza to ensure that this obligation is fulfilled without delay.
The Jewish state will never be able to fully recover and move on from October 7 and the subsequent war in Gaza without the complete return of all our hostages. October 7’s wound remains exposed as long as even one Israeli is still held, buried, or hidden beyond the border. The distrust will only grow if Israelis, and the Gvili family in particular, do not receive the opportunity to say goodbye and come full circle to mourn the loss of their son.