IDF reveals the intel that led it to the burial location of Gvili’s body

With the recovery of Master Sgt. Ran Gvili’s body from Gaza, the IDF discloses its intelligence assessments regarding where the slain police officer’s remains were believed to have been held.

The army says that the intelligence indicating Gvili was buried at the cemetery in eastern Gaza City had been known for a while, though recently the picture was made clearer by intelligence-gathering operations and information confirmed by Hamas to Israel via mediators.

Last week, the IDF received new information that strengthened its assessments that Gvili was buried at the cemetery in eastern Gaza City. A search operation began over the weekend, and today his body was found.

The search took place on the Israeli side of the Yellow Line, though some forces were deployed over it, on the Hamas side, for security purposes, military officials say.

Another intelligence lead had suggested that the slain hostage was buried in a tunnel around a kilometer from the cemetery, also on the Israeli side of the Yellow Line.

Combat engineers dug into the tunnel and scanned it, but ultimately, nothing was found.

Other leads included the possibility that Gvili was buried at Shifa Hospital or in another cemetery in Gaza City. However, both sites are on the Hamas side of the ceasefire line, and therefore no searches took place there.