The Israel Defense Forces recovered the remains of Ran Gueli, the last Israeli hostage held in Gaza, and returned them to Israel just now during the 29-minute period from 1:47 p.m. to 2:16 p.m. UTC on January 26, 2026, according to an IDF statement reported by Barak Ravid on X. This marks the first time since 2014 there are no Israeli hostages in Gaza. IDF forces identified Gueli's remains following an extensive excavation at Gaza City's al-Batash cemetery in the Tufah neighborhood, as previously reported, with no fewer than 20 bodies removed over the past day until the identification, according to X posts by Amit Segal and Bitton Rosen shared in this reporting window. Bitton Rosen quoted that 'the circle is closed' and no more abductees remain in Gaza. The recovery follows the IDF's ongoing operations in Gaza cemeteries announced earlier today, confirming the location of Gueli's body after his abduction on October 7, 2023. In related regional developments, Mohammed Al-Kholaifi, a Qatari Foreign Ministry official visiting Beirut, announced a major aid package for Lebanon during this period, including $40 million for the electricity sector, a $360 million electricity project, 185 annual study scholarships, rehabilitation of a Beirut hospital damaged in the 2020 port explosion, a United Nations-cooperating project for the voluntary return of 100,000 Syrian refugees to Syria, and continued support for Lebanese army salaries, as reported by kaisos1987 on X.
