First to Go, Last to Return: Israel Brings Home the Remains of Her Last Captive Son

Today (Monday), IDF representatives informed the family of hostage Ran Gvili, of blessed memory, that their loved one had been positively identified and returned for burial in Israel. Ran’s body was found by soldiers from the IDF’s Alexandroni Brigade. His funeral will take place this coming Wednesday.

According to a report by journalist Doron Kadosh, IDF forces located Ran’s body after examining approximately 250 bodies in a Gaza cemetery in the Shejaiya neighborhood of Gaza.

Reportedly, the IDF had several central intelligence assessments regarding Gvili’s possible burial site. One assessment suggested that he had been buried in the cemetery due to a misidentification; another proposed that terrorists had buried him in a tunnel located roughly one kilometer from the cemetery.

Kadosh noted that IDF forces drilled into the tunnel and the elite Yahalom unit conducted extensive searches there to examine this possibility, but no findings were discovered. Earlier assessments had suggested that Ran might have been buried near Shifa Hospital or in another cemetery in northern Gaza. At no point was there definitive intelligence confirming which of the four locations was correct. Several days ago, new information strengthened the assessment pointing to the cemetery, leading to approval of the search operation named “Operation Brave Heart”.

“We Kept Our Promise”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reacted to the news:
“I am pleased to inform the people of Israel, as I have just informed the Gvili family: our forces have found Rani, and he is now on his way home. This is an extraordinary achievement for the State of Israel. We promised to bring everyone back—and we brought everyone back. Rani, a hero of Israel, went in first and came out last, and has now been returned home. This is a tremendous achievement for the IDF, for the state, and for the citizens of Israel.”

U.S. President Donald Trump also commented on Ran’s return for burial in Israel, writing: “Just recovered the last hostage body… Amazing Job!” He added that this was an achievement most thought impossible.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir spoke with the Gvili family following the identification of their son in  in northern Gaza. He told them: “We kept our promise that we leave no one behind. IDF soldiers, the fighters on the front line, and the entire nation are deeply moved by Ran’s return to burial in Israel.”

President Isaac Herzog also addressed Ran’s return:
“Hero Ran Gvili has returned to the landscape of his homeland after 843 days. A fighter who went out to save lives—he is finally returning to his country, his family, and his land. An entire nation is moved to tears. Our hearts are with his parents, Talik and Itzik, and the entire family… This was an operation of immeasurable importance and the fulfillment of the sacred commandment of redeeming captives. Since 2014, and after many long and painful years, there is no Israeli citizen left in the Gaza Strip. An entire nation prayed and waited for this moment—now the circle has been closed. May his memory be a blessing.”

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum added:
“Ran Gvili, the last hostage, has been brought home. First to enter, last to return…Ran, with his broad shoulders and radiant smile, was all heart—a true friend, loved by all, who embraced life. A young man of deep values, he always spoke eye to eye, with a powerful yet calm presence. He was 24 at the time of his death. He is survived by his parents, Talik and Itzik, his brother Omri, his sister Shira, and an extended family.”

Families from the Tikvah Forum stated:
“The Tikvah Forum families share in the profound sorrow of our beloved Talik and Itzik Gvili upon the return of their beloved Rani to burial in Israel. Hero Rani went out on Simchat Torah for the sake of the people of Israel and the State of Israel, and now the people of Israel have brought him home. Alongside the immense pain, this is a deeply moving day of closure—for Talik and Itzik, and for the entire nation. We extend our deepest gratitude to the security forces and the Government of Israel for returning Rani, of blessed memory, home, thereby bringing back the final hostage from the ‘Swords of Iron’ war.”

Faith and Perseverance

Staff Sgt. Ran Gvili, of blessed memory, fell in battle on the morning of October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched its wave of massacres and atrocities across the South, opening the Swords of Iron war. His body was held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip for 843 days, and his return marks the end of the first phase of the ceasefire deal orchestrated by President Trump.

The soldiers who found Ran’s body took a moment to sing the “Ani Maamin” – “I believe with complete faith in the coming of the Messiah, and although he may tarry, nevertheless, I wait every day for him to come”.

As his family kept the faith and waited, we wait for the final redemption, the day when ““He will swallow up death forever;
and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces” (Isaiah 25:8).