Behind the scenes of the operation which recovered the body of Ran Gvili, the final hostage taken to Gaza, close coordination took place between ground forces and the Air Force. The Air Force provided the critical aerial intelligence that enabled troops on the ground to complete the mission and withdraw safely.
The operation was overseen by an operations officer in the Air Force Cooperation Unit, who coordinated the full aerial response. For him, preparations began weeks before forces entered the area.
“We prepared for this operation over a long period," he said. “Our mission in the Air Force and the Cooperation Unit is to provide a complete aerial envelope for the ground forces, guiding them from above, delivering operational responses, assisting with fire support, and carrying out evacuations with helicopters on standby."
Planned over the course of about a month, the mission was described by the Air Force as one of particular importance. He explained that every branch of the Air Force contributed to the planning.
“I was the operations coordinator, but each element had a representative who brought forward their capabilities and level of readiness," he said. “I consolidated the plans, advanced them for approval up to the Air Force commander, and coordinated them with the ground operation through the brigade, the chief of staff, and ultimately the political echelon."
While he built the overarching operational framework from the Air Force bunker, an air support officer assigned to Brigade 3 was immersed in tactical planning on the ground side. His role was to act as a “translator," ensuring that every operational need of a soldier fighting in the alleys of Khan Yunis could receive an immediate response from the air.
“Our job is to provide the Air Force envelope for the ground forces," he said. “That includes coordinating combat helicopters, planning strike targets, determining extraction points, and mapping evacuation routes in real time. Ahead of the operation, we anticipate scenarios-planning fighter jet strikes requested by battalions and defining time windows for drone activity."
According to him, air planning is always based on worst-case scenarios. “We plan for the most catastrophic situation, where everything goes wrong and mass evacuations are required, God forbid. In this operation, the threat level was relatively limited, and we did not need to carry out major strikes."
The most dramatic moment came during the withdrawal, after the body was located. “Once identification is made, the objective is to extract as quickly as possible and without friction," he recalled. “The enemy understands what’s happening, and that’s when vulnerability increases. During that phase, a combat helicopter was airborne almost the entire time, providing cover."
For both officers, the mission to recover the body of Ran Gvili was far more than a routine operation. The operations officer noted that this war marked the first time the Air Force was so deeply integrated into nearly every ground mission.
“We are attached to every operation, large or small, in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, and the West Bank," he said.
Asked what affected him most, he explained, “The issue of the hostages touches a core value I was raised on - that no one is left behind," he said. “It was also a form of closure from the October 7th massacre. When you plan an operation, you don’t think emotionally. But when the message came that Ran had been found, it was one of the most significant moments of my service."
He noted that the war carried an especially heavy emotional toll, particularly during casualty evacuations under fire. “When you hear over the radio that there are casualties, you have to disconnect emotionally and focus only on getting them evacuated as quickly as possible," he said. “In one case, we even handled the evacuation of the son of a close friend who was killed."
Despite the pain, he emphasized the strength of cooperation between the forces. “The coordination between the Air Force and ground forces is extraordinary," he said. “There was massive mobilization by the squadrons. Helicopter pilots would come speak directly with us and the battalion commanders to understand exactly who they were supporting. Everything was guided by two principles: protecting our forces and avoiding harm to those who should not be harmed."
He recalled instances in which air support directly saved lives. “It happened in Gaza and very intensely in Lebanon. You identify terrorists firing near our forces, and within seconds a strike hits the building. We helped neutralize many terrorists and saved soldiers from having to fight face to face."