Hundreds of people gathered on Friday for a Kabbalat Shabbat service in Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, calling for the return of Ran Gvili, the last hostage whose body is still being held by Hamas in Gaza.
Talik Gvili, mother of Ran Gvili, said, “Week after week, this gathering keeps growing, and it’s so moving to see your effort, to see you all coming here. It’s not something we take for granted - truly.”
“If Rani is watching us now from above, or from wherever he is, he would say: Wow. This wasn’t for nothing. This matters. Because when we talk about mutual responsibility, when we talk about togetherness, when we talk about unity - this is exactly what unity looks like.”
“At the end of the day, we really are one strong people, and we stand together, side by side. Today, Rani isn’t just my son - he’s your son too. He needs you, because they’re about to abandon him,” said Talik Gvili.
“We need to stand united to make it absolutely clear to the world: We will not forget, and we will not let anyone leave him there. We’re not moving to the next phase, and we’re not doing anything until he comes home,” she concluded.
Noam Ben Ezra, sister of Tsachi Idan, who was kidnapped on October 7, murdered, and returned after 510 days, also spoke at Friday’s event.
“I’m here today choosing to speak about unity… Unity means seeing one another. Listening to each other. Stopping the division and discord, and focusing on what connects and unites us,” she said.
“And for me, what unites us right now is the enemy: Hamas. Hamas is holding Rani. Hamas is currently not honoring the agreement. The agreement was signed to bring back 48 hostages, and Rani is there.”
“Now we need to unite our forces so that Rani comes home. And no one is moving to the next phase if Rani doesn’t come back. This is on us,” said Ben Ezra.
(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.)