Talik Gvili, the mother of Ran, a police officer killed in combat during the October 7 massacre whose body is so held by Hamas in Gaza, says she fears the ongoing reality could become normalized, leaving her son behind.
Speaking at the Arutz Sheva - Israel National News booth during the “Gaza - The Day After" conference, Gvili, a member of the Tikva Forum, addressed Israel’s political leadership with a direct message. “There is no ‘day after’ until Ran returns," she said. “I want to move forward, and our family wants to continue living, but first Ran must be brought back. No one will move on, border crossings will not reopen, and nothing in Gaza will be rehabilitated until Ran comes home."
Gvili said her greatest concern is the erosion of public consensus around the issue of the hostages. In an effort to keep her son’s case on the international agenda, she met with U.S. President Donald Trump, from whom she says she received a personal commitment. “He looked us in the eyes and said, ‘Your child is coming back. I will bring your child back. Ran is coming home.’ For me, that was a promise," she said.
She dismissed claims that Hamas does not know where her son’s body is being held. “Hamas is lying," Gvili said. “This is a highly organized terrorist organization, as we saw throughout the hostage releases. Ran was a soldier in uniform who fell in combat. He is not someone they would have misplaced. They are deliberately hiding him and using him as a bargaining chip."
Throughout the war, Gvili has stood alongside families in the Tikva Forum, which supports the use of sustained military pressure as the primary means of securing the return of hostages, despite criticism from other families. “I respect those who think differently," she said. “I understand their pain and their views, even if I don’t agree with them. My family and I believed military pressure was the right path, and I believe we were right."
Gvili said dedicating herself fully to efforts to bring her son home has become essential to her survival. “Not acting is far harder," she said. “Doing everything I can is what keeps me going. I owe that to my child."