GAZA - Israel on Monday released nine Palestinian detainees from the Gaza Strip, who arrived at Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, hours after the Israeli army announced the recovery of the remains of the last Israeli hostage held in Gaza.

The move is part of the implementation of the ceasefire agreement reached between Israel and Hamas in October 2025.

In a press statement, the hospital said the detainees arrived through the facilitation of the International Committee of the Red Cross after their release by Israeli authorities via the Kerem Shalom crossing.

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Earlier on Monday, the Israeli army announced the recovery of the remains of Ran Gvili, 24, a member of Israel Police's elite Yasam patrol unit, who was killed on Oct 7, 2023, and whose body was transferred to Gaza.

In a press statement, Hamas said it had made "significant efforts" to locate Gvili's remains, calling on Israel to fully implement all provisions of the agreement, including reopening the Rafah crossing, allowing humanitarian aid into Gaza, and withdrawing completely from the Strip.

In September 2025, the US President Donald Trump's administration unveiled a 20-point, three-phase peace plan aimed at ending the Israel-Hamas conflict that broke out in October 2023. However, both sides repeatedly accused each other of violations during the first phase of the deal after the ceasefire took effect in October 2025.

Earlier this month, Trump's administration announced the launch of the second phase of the peace plan, shifting the focus from ceasefire to demilitarization, technocratic governance and reconstruction.

Hamas: Remains recovery proves ceasefire commitment

Hamas said on Monday that the discovery of the remains of the last Israeli hostage held in the Gaza Strip demonstrates the movement's full commitment to the ceasefire agreement.

In a statement, Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem said the movement "will continue to adhere to all aspects of the agreement," including facilitating the work of the technocratic committee tasked with managing Gaza's affairs.

Qassem called on mediators and the United States to compel Israel to "cease its violations of the agreement and fulfill its obligations."

The statement came after the Israeli army announced the recovery of the remains of Ran Gvili, 24, a member of Israel Police's elite Yasam patrol unit, who was killed on Oct 7, 2023, and whose body was transferred to Gaza.

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told reporters that Israeli forces were on their way back to Israel with the body of Gvili for burial, calling the recovery a "tremendous achievement" for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

"Following the completion of the identification process by the National Institute of Forensic Medicine, IDF representatives informed the family of the deceased hostage, Sergeant First Class Ran Gvili, that their loved one has been identified and will be returned for burial," the military said in a statement.

"With this, all hostages have been returned from the Gaza Strip to the State of Israel," it added.

The announcement came a day after Israel said it had launched a "large-scale operation" to locate Gvili's remains in a cemetery in northern Gaza, based on intelligence information.

According to Hamas, all Israeli captives have now been returned, either alive or as remains, as part of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States, Qatar, and Egypt, which came into effect in October 2025.

UN welcomes remains recovery

The United Nations on Monday welcomed reports of the recovery of the remains of the last Israeli hostage in Gaza and called for the full implementation of the ceasefire arrangements.

"We welcome reports (of) that development and extend our condolences to his family. The full implementation of the ceasefire arrangements in Gaza is absolutely critical," said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

READ MORE: Hamas says body of Israeli hostage recovered from central Gaza Strip

"The secretary-general urges all parties to move forward in good faith and without delay with subsequent phases, facilitate sustained and unhindered humanitarian access, including through the Rafah crossing, and uphold international humanitarian law," he told a daily press briefing.

The United Nations will continue to support the full implementation of the agreement, he said.

Guterres urges once again all stakeholders to establish a credible political path forward toward ending the Israeli occupation, recognizing the right to self-determination of the Palestinian people, leading to a two-state solution, in line with international law and UN resolutions, said the spokesman.