US Senator John Fetterman (D-Pa) announced today (Tuesday) that he would remove the posters of the Israeli hostages from his office for the first time in over two years following the recovery of the body of Ran Gvili, the last hostage who was held in Gaza.
Responding to a report that Jewish communities are "shedding" the symbols of the hostages following the end of the hostage crisis, Fetterman wrote on X: "And so will my office, especially on this International Holocaust Remembrance Day. A reminder of every hostage stayed up in my office after 10/7 until they were all back home."
"Thankfully, after these 843 torturous days, we can celebrate a new chapter," he said.
Fetterman had posted on November 7, 2023, exactly one month after the October 7 massacre in which over 250 people were kidnapped from southern Israel: "In my front office I have displayed the posters of the innocent Israelis kidnapped by Hamas. They will stay up until every single person is safely returned home."
Yesterday, after Ran Gvili's remainswere recovered, Fetterman wrote: "This nightmare that began on 10/7/23 has finally ended for his family and the world’s Jewish community. At last, Ran Gvili can be put to eternal rest. I will always stand with Israel and the global Jewish community, and support its right to exist in peace and security."
Fellow Democrat and Israel supporter Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) also welcomed the recovery of the last hostage yesterday, stating: "The body of the final hostage, Ran Gvili, has been recovered and returned to Israel. 843 days after the October 7 attack and abductions, there are no remaining Israeli hostages-alive or deceased-in Gaza. The long-overdue return of Gvili’s remains closes one of the most tragic and traumatic chapters of the war for Israel, the Jewish diaspora, and the free world."