The southern Israeli town of Meitar became the focal point of national mourning as citizens gathered to pay final respects to Ran Gvili, the last hostage whose remains were repatriated from Gaza. The solemn ceremony marked the emotional conclusion to a painful chapter that began with Hamas’s October 2023 offensive.
Under overcast skies, hundreds of mourners assembled in a local stadium where a massive portrait of the 24-year-old police officer dominated the memorial space. Attendees carried Israeli flags and wore yellow ribbons—the enduring symbol of the hostage crisis that has gripped the nation for over two years. Uniformed soldiers and police officers joined grieving families in plastic chairs arranged before a large screen broadcasting the funeral proceedings.
Gvili, a member of the elite Yassam unit, was on medical leave awaiting shoulder surgery when Hamas militants launched their attack. Despite his condition, he immediately armed himself and rushed toward the conflict zone. His heroic actions during the defense of Kibbutz Alumim—where he ultimately fell in combat—earned him the posthumous title ‘Defender of Alumim’ from his community.
The journey to bring Gvili home culminated Monday when Israeli forces recovered his remains from Gaza. Of the 251 hostages taken during the October 7 assault, Gvili’s were the final ones held within Palestinian territory. Earlier Wednesday, emotional scenes unfolded along roadways as processions transported his body from Camp Shura military base to Meitar, with citizens lining routes and police officers standing at solemn attention.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who delivered remarks at the ceremony, characterized the recovery operation as a ‘sacred mission now fully completed.’ During a Tuesday press conference, he stated: ‘Ran was the first to charge, and Rani was the last to return. Many generations will draw inspiration from Ran Gvili, a hero of Israel.’
The hostage return process evolved throughout the protracted conflict, involving complex ceasefire negotiations, prisoner exchanges, and military rescue operations. The most recent repatriations occurred under a US-brokered ceasefire agreement implemented on October 10. In Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square, a symbolic clock tracking the captivity duration finally stopped ticking late Tuesday as hundreds gathered to witness the emotional milestone.
President Isaac Herzog noted Monday that this moment represents the first time since 2014 that no Israeli citizens remain held hostage in Gaza, providing a measure of closure to a nation forever transformed by the two-year ordeal.