Crowds gathered on Friday at Hostages Square for Kabbalat Shabbat with one clear call: Israel is waiting for Ran Gvili, the last hostage whose body has yet to be released by the Hamas terrorist organization - we will leave no one behind.
Itzik Gvili, father of Ran Gvili, said, “This week's Torah portion is about Jacob, who refused to be comforted because Joseph was alive. I feel the same way. I am Jacob, and for me, Rani is still alive. It is hard for me to accept people saying ‘of blessed memory’. For me, until I get him back - he is alive. Even though they announced his death, I do not accept it.”
“Just as Rani went to save the people and went to save the country, today the country and the people need to save him, not give up, and keep him in our minds. We, the Gvili family, embrace each and every one of you,” he added.
Ruby Chen, father of Itay Chen who was kidnapped to Gaza on October 7, 2023 and whose body was returned last month, said, “Today we demand that the agreement President Trump signed for the release of all the hostages be fulfilled, and now is the time to insist on implementing that agreement.”
He added, “We, the Chen family, will stand alongside the Gvili family until Rani's return, because this is the mutual responsibility we have spoken about over the past two years. Neither my family nor the Gvili family will ever again get to light candles with Itay or Rani. Even so, we must not let the spirit of the people fall.”
(Arutz Sheva-Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)