An officer from the IDF’s Yahalom special engineering unit who participated in the operation to locate and recover the body of fallen Israel Police officer Ran Gvili spoke with Arutz Sheva - Israel National News about the extensive preparations and the emotional moments surrounding the successful identification.
The officer said the forces involved were acutely aware of the significance of the mission, both for the Gvili family and for the country as a whole. He explained that the operation was carried out within a narrow time frame, after receiving authorization from the political echelon, and once it began it continued intensively and without pause until the identification was confirmed.
He detailed Yahalom unit's role in the mission, noting that the unit’s bomb disposal platoon was responsible for ensuring the area was free of threats to the forces on the ground. This included checking that the bodies themselves were not booby-trapped and did not pose any danger to those tasked with identification.
According to the officer, the operation was conducted under heavy constraints. The limited operational window and conditions on the ground required continuous, round-the-clock work. He described the task as extremely difficult, involving the securing of hundreds of bodies recovered sequentially amid harsh and distressing conditions. Despite the emotional toll, the forces focused on professionalism and precision, relying on their training and experience to carry out the mission.
The effort reached its most powerful moment when it was definitively confirmed that the body was that of Ran Gvili, of blessed memory. The officer said the Yahalom unit has taken part throughout the war in operations to recover hostages, both living and deceased, and understood the profound meaning of these missions for Israeli society. He added that the confirmation brought an overwhelming sense of emotion among the forces, one that he said is difficult to put into words.