Government hostage point man Gal Hirsch says that returning all the hostages from Gaza was “the hardest mission” of his life, in tearful remarks during this evening’s press conference with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“It was the hardest mission of my life,” Hirsch says, speaking alongside the premier a day after the body of Ran Gvili, the final hostage, was located by the IDF and brought back to Israel.
“I wish to express, with humility and deep gratitude, my thanks to this entire team, the support team, on this day that is not a holiday, yet is great and painful and joyful all at once,” Hirsch says.
He thanks security and diplomatic teams across the globe for their assistance in the mission, putting special emphasis on US President Donald Trump and his top aides and envoys for helping secure the release of all the hostages.
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From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, January 27, 2026
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