The casket of the last deceased hostage, Ran Gvili, was returned to Israel on Monday.
Upon arriving in Israeli territory, the police held a farewell ceremony, attended by his father. “This is a tremendous honor to stand before Rani’s body and say to him, to his family, and to all police officers that the State of Israel was in grave danger on October 7 - and people like Rani went out, fought, and gave their lives for the state, serving as its protective wall," Police Commissioner Danny Levy said at the ceremony.
The body then arrived at the National Center for Forensic Medicine for investigation of the circumstances and cause of death. The Israeli Ministry of Health and the National Center for Forensic Medicine stated that the teams, including the forensic physicians and laboratory staff of the National Center for Forensic Medicine, are prepared to act as quickly as possible, while maintaining the utmost sensitivity regarding information shared with the family.
The IDF announced earlier in the day that, following the completion of the identification process by the National Institute of Forensic Medicine, in cooperation with the Israel Police and the Military Rabbinate, IDF representatives informed the family of the deceased hostage, Sergeant First Class Ran Gvili, that their loved one has been identified and will be returned for burial.
With this, all hostages have been returned from the Gaza Strip to the State of Israel. This is the first time since 2014 that there are no hostages, alive or deceased, being held by terrorists in Gaza. The IDF expressed deep condolences to the family and said it will continue to support the families and the returnees, and to act to strengthen the security of the citizens of Israel.
Staff Sergeant Ran (Rani) Gvili from Meitar was a YASSAM Negev fighter in the Southern District of the Israel Police. On the morning of that fateful day in October 2023, Ran was at home recovering from a motorcycle accident and suffering from a fractured shoulder. Upon learning of the terrorist infiltration, he immediately put on his uniform and went out to assist his fellow unit members in the fighting.
On his way, he encountered terrorists and fought with courage and determination on the front line at the entrance to Kibbutz Alumim. Members of the kibbutz community later gave him the name “Ran, the Defender of Alumim."
Ran is survived by his parents, Talik and Itzik, his brother Omri, his sister Shira, and an extended family.
