US Politicians, Jewish Groups Welcome Liberation Of Final Body From Gaza

“The Trump plan brought the hostages home,” Sen. Dave McCormick (R-Pa.) wrote. “Now in its next phase, Hamas must disarm so we can move toward a broader peace.”

Israeli Master Sgt. Ran Gvili, 24, who was killed in the Hamas-led terrorist attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and whose body is being held by Hamas, Dec. 6, 2025. Photo by Tsafrir Abayov/Flash90.

American politicians and Jewish groups applauded the return of the body of Ran Gvili to Israel on Monday, marking the first time since 2014 that no Israeli hostages remain in the Gaza Strip.

U.S. President Donald Trump stated that “most thought of it as an impossible thing to do.”

“Just recovered the last hostage body in Gaza,” the president wrote. “Thus, got back all 20 of the living hostages and all of the dead. Amazing job.”

Hamas abducted 251 Israelis and foreign nationals into Gaza during the terrorist group’s attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, 168 of whom returned alive.

Hamas agreed to release the final 20 living hostages and 28 bodies, including Gvili, in a ceasefire agreement with Israel that the Trump administration announced in September.

Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who has been involved in those peace negotiations with Hamas, described how the administration secured the release of the remaining hostages.

“Under Trump’s leadership, special envoy Steve Witkoff and I worked closely with the Central Intelligence Agency, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his team, the Israel Defense Forces, Egypt’s General Intelligence Service, Turkey, Qatar and many cooperative Gazans to make possible this unthinkable outcome,” Kushner wrote.

“Coordination and trust were built between individuals and organizations where none previously existed. This produced tangible results,” he wrote.

The IDF recovered Gvili’s body from a graveyard in Gaza on Monday after months of delays in which Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad claimed that they did not know where the body was located. Hamas claimed on Monday that it had contributed to locating Gvili’s body.

The return of all remaining hostages was a key element of the Trump administration’s 20-point peace plan for Gaza.

Kushner suggested that the return of the last remaining hostage could contribute to Phase 2 of that plan.

“Helping the people of Gaza start a new chapter free from the tyranny of Hamas is a critical mission to prevent future death and destruction for Israelis and Palestinians,” he wrote. “This will also eliminate a flashpoint manipulated by disingenuous actors to mobilize antisemitism and other forms of division and hatred.”

On Thursday, Kushner laid out the administration’s plan to redevelop Gaza, complete with beachside skyscrapers, tourism and education centers.

Addressing the Knesset on Monday to announce Gvili’s return, Netanyahu rejected the idea of rebuilding Gaza before Hamas disarms.

“The next stage is not reconstruction, but the demilitarization of Gaza,” Netanyahu said. “We have an interest in bringing this stage forward. That way, we will complete the goals of the war.”

Ofir Akunis, consul general of Israel in New York, stated that “the picture of the last hostage in Gaza, Ran Gvili, has been removed from the entrance to the Israeli Consulate in New York, Israel’s largest diplomatic mission in the world.”

“All of our hostages have now been returned home,” Akunis stated. “This is a great achievement, first and foremost, of the IDF, Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Trump.”

“I am grateful to finally be able to remove the picture of the hero of Israel, Ran Gvili, the Judah Maccabee of our generation, from my desk at the Israeli Consulate in New York, a picture I received about a year and a half ago from Ran’s mother, Talik Gvili,” Akunis added. “The Gvili family waged the struggle for his return in a stately, Zionist, determined and thought-provoking manner. Their courage set an example and inspired the entire nation of Israel.”

‘Moment brings solace’

U.S. elected officials welcoming the return of Gvili said the end of the hostage crisis should clear the way for the subsequent phases of the Gaza peace plan, with some focusing on reconstruction and others on the need for Hamas to disarm.

“This news, and the expected opening of the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza, is a welcome sign,” said Rep. Grace Meng (D-N.Y.). “With much work ahead, we must continue surging humanitarian aid and charting a path forward for security and stability for both Israelis and Palestinians.”

“The Trump plan brought the hostages home. Now in its next phase, Hamas must disarm so we can move toward a broader peace,” wrote Sen. Dave McCormick (R-Pa.).

American Jewish groups also welcomed Gvili’s return and marked the closing of the Oct. 7 hostage crisis, noting the next steps that could be taken as part of the Trump administration’s peace plan.

Betsy Berns Korn and William Daroff, chair and CEO, respectively, of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, stated that “after a long and painful period of uncertainty, this moment brings solace to his family, whom we hold in our hearts, and to the entire nation.”

“This moment marks the close of an era and affirms a national promise that Israel does not abandon its own, in life or in death,” the Conference of Presidents leaders stated. “We express our deep gratitude to President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and to the teams they lead, for their leadership and determination in securing the return of all of Israel’s fallen.”

AIPAC stated that “throughout the war, Israel made clear the fighting would stop when all the hostages were freed and Hamas disarmed.”

“Despicably, Hamas refused and instead chose to extend the war despite the profound toll,” the pro-Israel group said. “Pressure must increase on Hamas to finally disarm and enable the Palestinian people to have a real path to peace, prosperity and opportunity.”

The Orthodox Union said that the news of the redemption of Gvili’s body comes with a “complicated combination of feelings.”

“We are grateful to President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu, relieved for the Gvili family who can now experience some painful closure, and proud of the brave soldiers who made this possible,” the OU said.

The Jewish Community Relations Council of the Bay Area wrote that although one of the primary objectives of the ceasefire had been fulfilled, “the future is filled with unknowns.”

“Hamas cannot retain the capacity to repeat the Oct. 7 attacks, critical humanitarian aid must continue to be provided to Gazans as they begin to rebuild, and Israel must exercise restraint and precision to minimize civilian casualties as Hamas continues to use Gazans as human shields,” the group wrote.

Elan Carr, CEO of the Israeli-American Council, stated that Ran’s mother, Talik, spoke at the IAC national summit earlier in the month.

“We can now join with the Gvili family, and all the Jewish people, in mourning Ran’s murder,” Carr said. “May his memory be a blessing and a source of strength as we work to emerge from this dark chapter.”