The last Israeli hostage in Gaza, Ran Gvili, was finally brought back to his country, according to the Forum of Families of Hostages and Missing Persons.Gvili, who had been recognized for his participation in the defense of his community during the terrorist attack of October 7, became a symbol for many families affected by the conflict.
Twenty-four-year-old Sergeant Ran Gvili was part of the YASSAMNegev unit of the Israel Police, in the southern district.Born in Meitar, Gvili was at home recovering from a broken shoulder caused by a motorcycle accident when the incursion of Palestinian terrorists began.Despite his convalescence, he put on his uniform and went out to confront the attackers.
On his way, Gvili encountered armed combatants and participated in clashes at the entrance to Kibbutz Alumim.Residents of the community later nicknamed him “Ran, the Defender of Alumim” for his bravery and dedication on the front line.After several months of uncertainty, it was determined that Gvili was captured only after running out of ammunition, following intense combat.
Ran Gvili lost his life at the age of twenty-four and was kidnapped to Gaza after the battle.He leaves behind his parents, Talik and Itzik, his brother Omri, his sister Shira and an extended family who mourns his loss.The Forum of Families of Hostages and Missing Persons stressed that Gvili was appreciated by everyone, described as a young man with deep values, a serene presence and a contagious smile.
With the repatriation of his body, Gvili becomes the last of the Israeli hostages to return, closing a painful chapter for his family and for Israeli society.The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) located and identified Gvili’s body in a cemetery in eastern Gaza City, after a search that included the exhumation and analysis of some 250 bodies.According to the IDF, the identification was made through dental and fingerprint tests.The family was immediately informed and the body is being transferred to Israel for burial.
The location process was based on intelligence information that had long pointed to that cemetery, although final confirmation came after new operations and data provided by Hamas through mediators.This operation marks the first time since 2014 that no Israeli hostages remain in the Gaza Strip.
The search was carried out on the Israeli side of the Yellow Line, with support from combat engineers and forensic experts.Other lines of investigation considered the possibility that the body was in tunnels or in the Shifa Hospital, but without results.The IDF announced that the other exhumed bodies will be returned to their graves and the cemetery will be cleaned as a sign of respect.
In the Knesset, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the return of Ran Gvili’s body “an extraordinary achievement for Israel.”“We promised, and I promised, to bring everyone back, and we brought everyone back, until the last one,” declared the president, who defined him as “a hero of Israel.”
