Relatives, friends, and supporters of Master Sgt. Ran Gvili, whose body is held by Hamas, attend a rally for the return of the body from Hamas captivity in Meitar, southern Israel, December 6, 2025. (Photo by Tsafrir Abayov/Flash90)
His family stressed that what was initially described to them as a matter of 72 hours has now stretched into two months and they cannot allow the country to proceed as if his situation is resolved.
A powerful and emotional gathering took place in the southern Israeli town of Meitar on Saturday night as relatives, friends, and fellow officers of Sgt. Ran Gvili urged Israeli and United States officials to pause all progress on a proposed Gaza ceasefire agreement until the fate of the final remaining hostage is clarified.
Sgt. Gvili, a member of the elite Yasam special operations unit, went missing on October 7 after rushing toward areas under heavy attack in order to rescue civilians and fellow officers.
Witnesses from his unit described how he insisted on remaining at the front until the very last moment and continued moving forward to evacuate the wounded even while under direct fire.
The unit later confirmed that he was taken into Gaza during the chaos of the assault.
During the gathering, Gvili’s parents, Talik and Itzik, pleaded with decision makers not to advance discussion of the next stage of any ceasefire or hostage release framework while their son remains unaccounted for.
They stressed that what was initially described to them as a matter of 72 hours has now stretched into two months and they cannot allow the country to proceed as if his situation is resolved.
His father stated that Ran is the final hostage and that there is no one after him and that he must not be left behind.
Supporters at the rally warned that moving ahead with negotiations before securing clarity on Gvili’s condition would repeat painful mistakes from previous conflicts in which the bodies of Israeli soldiers were held in Gaza for many years.
They emphasized that Israel would forfeit critical leverage if the next phase of the deal begins before Ran Gvili is brought home.
Talks between Jerusalem and Washington continue as both sides review the next steps in a potential new Gaza arrangement. Families and supporters at the rally insisted that the longstanding principle must be honored, which is that no agreement should advance while any hostage, whether alive or deceased, remains outside of Israel.
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