Gaza hostages

IDF releases new footage and images from Gaza operation to recover final hostage Ran Gvili

St.-Sgt.-Maj. Ran Gvili was the final hostage whose remains were held in the Gaza Strip. His remains were located and returned to Israel for burial on January 26.

|ByJAMES GENN
Soldiers from the IDF's 3rd Alexandroni Brigade, under the 252nd Division, operate to retrieve the remains of St.-Sgt.-Maj. Ran Gvili from northern Gaza in January, published on February 9, 2026.
Hamas terrorists stand at a site as Hamas says it continues to search for the body of the last deceased hostage, in Gaza City December 8, 2025.

Hamas source claims hostages were sometimes held 'meters away' from IDF - report

On several occasions, IDF troops were directly above the tunnels where terrorists had hidden hostages, and had to be misled or distracted so that the terrorists could transfer the hostages elsewhere.

|ByTZVI JASPER
Released Israeli hostage Nimrod Cohen at the funeral of Israeli soldier Staff Sgt. Daniel Oz, at the military cemetery in Kfar Saba.

Former hostage Nimrod Cohen announces return to IDF: 'Didn't do enough during my mandatory service'

"I didn't really do my service, the way I see it. I served for ten months until I was kidnapped," Cohen said in an interview for N12's Ulpan Shishi.

|ByTOBIAS HOLCMAN
U.S. first lady Melania Trump meets with freed American-Israeli couple Keith and Aviva Siegel, who were abducted by Hamas on October 7, 2023, at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 4, 2026.

Melania Trump hosts former hostages Aviva, Keith Siegel for White House visit

Melania notably released a biographical documentary last week, in which Aviva features. She stressed the visit with the Siegels was not a promotion for the film.

|ByFRAIDY MOSER

Authorities close former Gaza hostage Mia Schem's rape case due to insufficient evidence

The Tel Aviv-based celebrity fitness trainer was released without an indictment after a year-long investigation.

FEBRUARY 5, 2026ByHODAYA RAN
Former hostage Mia Schem speaks during a rally calling for the release of Israelis held hostage by Hamas terrorists in Gaza at Hostages Square, Tel Aviv, May 17, 2025; illustrative.

Former hostages Aviva and Keith Siegel visit Kenyan refugee camp

Partnering with IsraAID, former hostages Aviva and Keith Siegel toured the camp's facilities as part of their recent entry into humanitarian work.

FEBRUARY 4, 2026ByASHER SMITH
Keith and Aviva Siegel speak at The Jerusalem Post's Annual Conference in New York, US, May 19, 2025

WATCH: Final hostage pin removed from National Memorial Hall for Israel's Fallen

The pin was removed in a solemn ceremony organized by the Families, Commemoration and Heritage Division at the Defense Ministry, following the return of Gvili's body to Israel from Gaza.

FEBRUARY 4, 2026ByTZVI JASPER
A HOSTAGE pin on St.-Sgt.-Maj. Ran Gvili's memorial brick.

Yair Lapid held undisclosed meetings with Qatari officials to discuss Gaza hostages situation

The encounter happened on January 12, 2025, on the same day as another meeting between the Qatari officials, Lapid's team, and the representatives of the Gaza hostages' families.

FEBRUARY 3, 2026ByTOBIAS HOLCMAN
Opposition head Yair Lapid and Yesh Atid MKs arrive for a court hearing at the Supreme Court on a petition against the transfer of funds to ultra-Orthodox educational institutions, January 8, 2026

Former hostages, families say Gal Hirsch threatened them into silence on Netanyahu

The statement, published in a public letter directed towards Hirsch, criticized his treatment of the families and demanded that he “remain silent forever.”

FEBRUARY 1, 2026ByTOBIAS HOLCMAN
GAL HIRSCH, the government’s liaison on the issue of the hostages, arrives for a meeting earlier this month with families of those held in Gaza, and with hostages since released.

Ran Gvili’s return closes a chapter, but not the wound of October 7 - opinion

Ran Gvili's conduct on the last day of his life earned him the title of hero, and his story is one with which most of us can identify.

FEBRUARY 1, 2026BySUSAN HATTIS ROLEF
Israelis pay their respects as the funeral procession of St.-Sgt.-Maj. Ran Gvili, the last hostage from Gaza, makes its way to Gvili's Negev hometown of Meitar on January 28.

Gal Hirsch: 'Hamas planned to hold Israeli hostages for 10 years' - interview

In an interview with The Jerusalem Post, Brig.-Gen. (res.) Gal Hirsch described the complexity of Israeli hostage rescue operations, his involvement in negotiations, and Hamas terror tactics.

JANUARY 31, 2026ByZVIKA KLEIN, AMICHAI STEIN
Brig.-Gen. (res.) Gal Hirsch

Ran Gvili's return: Israel did not 'win,' it negotiated and paid a price - opinion

The return of Ran Gvili’s body does not mean Hamas has been defeated. It does not mean justice has been served. It means something narrower, heavier, and more tragic: that the price has been paid.

JANUARY 30, 2026ByJONATHAN LIBERMAN
Pallbearers from the Israeli Police sit in the hearse with the casket of Israeli hostage Ran Gvili, the last captive held by Hamas in Gaza, on January 28, 2026.

‘It felt like victory’: IDF dentist on identifying last Gaza hostage Ran Gvili - interview

“We started hearing [celebratory] shouts from soldiers all around. It was indescribable, a significant moment,” 'L' recalled. “There wasn’t a single dry eye.”

JANUARY 30, 2026ByMIRIAM SELA-EITAM
IDF works to identify body of St.-Sgt.-Maj. Ran Gvili, January 26, 2026.

The final hostage returns to Israel: Can healing begin?

In this emotional episode of The Deep Dive, host Jacob Laznik covers the return of Ran Gvili, the last Israeli hostage held in Gaza, after 844 days.

JANUARY 29, 2026ByJERUSALEM POST PODCASTS
The final hostage returns to Israel: Can healing begin?