It's been a long, brutal road. If you've been following the news cycles since late 2023, the numbers have probably blurred into a haze of grief and statistics. But here we are in January 2026, and the question of how many hostages are left in Gaza has a very specific, heartbreakingly singular answer.
Honestly, the "war" as we knew it has shifted. Most of the people who were taken on that awful October day are either back home or their families have finally had the chance to bury them. But the count isn't at zero. Not yet.
The current count: Who is still in Gaza?
As of mid-January 2026, there is one hostage remains still being held in the Gaza Strip.
His name is Ran Gvili.
Ran was a master sergeant in the Yasam elite police unit. On October 7, 2023, he wasn't just another victim; he was a guy who spent his final living hours fighting like hell to help people escape the massacre at the Nova music festival. He was eventually killed in battle at another location, and his body was snatched and taken into Gaza. For four months, his family didn't even know if he was alive or dead until the military finally confirmed his passing.
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It’s a heavy thing to realize. While the massive exchange deals of 2025—specifically the "Trump Peace Plan" in October—brought back the last 20 living hostages, Ran's body remains the final piece of a puzzle that nobody wanted to build.
Why the search for Ran Gvili is stalling
You’d think after the release of the living, getting a body back would be the easy part. It isn't. Hamas and various factions in Gaza have spent the last two years moving things around. There’s a lot of rubble. A lot of tunnels that are now death traps or completely collapsed.
- Location Uncertainty: U.S. and Israeli officials think they know where he might be, likely in the Gaza City area, but "likely" doesn't bring a son home for a proper funeral.
- Political Lever: Even though he is deceased, his remains are still being used as a bargaining chip in the "Phase Two" negotiations of the current peace framework.
- The Search Effort: Just last week, search operations were active in Gaza City. It's a grisly, meticulous task of sifting through ruins.
Looking back: How the numbers finally dropped
How did we get down to just one? It wasn't one big miracle. It was a series of agonizingly slow deals and high-stakes operations.
Early 2025 saw some movement, but the real "clearing of the decks" happened in October 2025. That was when the 20-point peace framework really kicked in. In one 72-hour window, Hamas released the last 20 living hostages. If you remember those names—Matan Angrest, the Berman twins, Matan Zangauker—that was the moment the world breathed a sigh of relief.
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But that relief was lopsided. For the families of the 28 deceased hostages who were still in the tunnels, the wait continued. Since October, the remains of 27 of those individuals have been repatriated. Inbar Haiman, the last female hostage whose death was confirmed, was among those returned in late 2025.
Now, it’s just Ran.
The 2014 "Old" Hostages
We can't talk about how many hostages are left in Gaza without mentioning the ghosts of the past. For over a decade, the names Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul were synonymous with the hostage crisis. They were killed in 2014.
The good news? They are finally home. As of November 2025, the remains of Hadar Goldin were returned to Israel after 11 years. Oron Shaul’s remains were recovered earlier in January 2025. Even the civilians who crossed into Gaza on their own accord years ago, like Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed, were released alive in February 2025.
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Essentially, the "pre-2023" list is finally empty. That makes the remaining holdout of Ran Gvili feel even more solitary.
What happens next?
The U.S. is pushing hard. Steve Witkoff and other officials have basically told the remaining Gazan leadership that "Phase Two" of the post-war plan—the rebuilding, the new governance, the money—is tied to this. They want the body of the last hostage back.
There’s a real "enough is enough" energy in the air. Prime Minister Netanyahu recently spoke to Ran’s parents, Tali and Itzik, promising that the mission isn't over. But for the rest of the world, Gaza has started to transition into a "post-war" reality. It’s a weird, uncomfortable gap where 99% of the crisis is "solved," but that 1% is everything to one family.
Actionable Insights for Following the Situation
- Watch the "Phase Two" Transitions: If you see news about the new Palestinian technocratic committee taking full control of Gaza's daily affairs, it usually means there has been a breakthrough or a "good faith" agreement regarding Ran Gvili's remains.
- Monitor the Yellow Line: Israeli troop movements are now restricted to specific zones. Any movement beyond the "yellow line" for search operations usually indicates new intelligence on the final hostage location.
- Support the Families: Even though the "Hostage and Missing Families Forum" has largely disbanded as a mass protest movement, smaller groups are still working on the long-term rehabilitation of the 168 survivors. Their trauma is only just beginning to be processed.
The story of the hostages in Gaza is nearly at its final page. It’s just waiting for one more name to be crossed off the list.