The Israel Defense Forces disclosed intelligence assessments indicating slain police officer Master Sgt. Ran Gvili's remains were buried at Gaza City's al-Batash cemetery in the Tufah neighborhood, with details reported by journalist Manny Fabian on X during the 30-minute period from 2:17 p.m. to 2:47 p.m. UTC on January 26, 2026. IDF officials stated the intelligence was known for some time but clarified recently through operations and information confirmed by Hamas via mediators, according to Fabian's report. New details received last week strengthened assessments, prompting a search operation over the weekend that led to the recovery earlier today on the Israeli side of the Yellow Line ceasefire, with some forces deployed across for security. Military sources noted combat engineers scanned a nearby tunnel about one kilometer from the cemetery, also on the Israeli side, but found nothing. Potential burial sites at Shifa Hospital or another Gaza City cemetery were not searched as they lie on the Hamas-controlled side of the ceasefire line. Ran Gvili's mother conveyed relief to the IDF Chief of Staff, stating, “After these two and a half years, it’s completely a relief, even though we wanted a different ending. Please tell all the soldiers and teams who worked there that they’re world champions,” as quoted by journalist Amit Segal. In a separate diplomatic incident, the Italian embassy in Tel Aviv sent a formal protest to Israel on Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani's orders after an armed settler threatened two carabinieri from the Jerusalem consulate with a rifle while they inspected a West Bank village near Ramallah to prepare an EU ambassadors' mission, according to Ultimora24.
