The family of Ran Gvili, the last Israeli hostage to be freed by Hamas, honored the memory of the heroic man who saved an entire community during the October 7 massacre.

The post WATCH: Ran Gvili’s family honors ‘Israel’s hero’ who defended a whole kibbutz on Oct. 7 appeared first on World Israel News.

A major community gathering will be held at St. Kilda Shule in Melbourne on Feb. 22, followed by an event at the Central Synagogue in Sydney on Feb. 25, the organization’s spokesperson said.

By JNS

The parents of Israel Police Master Sgt. Ran Gvili, the last hostage whose body was returned from Gaza, will travel to Australia on Feb. 18 to show solidarity with the Jewish community in the wake of the Bondi Beach massacre.

Talik and Itzik Gvili will be accompanied by Joseph Waks, founder and director of Hayeladim Shelanu (“Our Children”), an organization founded in the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023, attack to support families in Israel who have lost loved ones to war and terrorism, a spokesperson for the NGO said on Monday.

They are coming to Australia “to comfort and to be comforted,” Hayeladim Shelanu said.

They will meet with Jewish communities in Melbourne and Sydney to share their son’s story of heroism and sacrifice and to strengthen the bond between Australian Jewry and bereaved families in Israel.

The charity said the Gvilis’s presence carries particular meaning following the trauma of the Bondi Beach mass shooting at a Chanukah candle-lighting event on Dec. 14, which deeply impacted Jewish families across Australia and beyond.

A major community gathering will be held at St. Kilda Shule in Melbourne on Feb. 22, followed by an event at the Central Synagogue in Sydney on Feb. 25, the organization’s spokesperson said.

The Gvilises are expected to return on March 2.

Hayeladim Shelanu supports bereaved families across Israel through direct assistance, healing initiatives, and community-building programs.

Ran Gvili, a 24-year-old Israel Police Special Patrol Unit (Yasam) volunteer from Meitar, near Beersheva, fought with extraordinary courage on Oct. 7, 2023.

When the massacre began, he left his house, put on his uniform, and headed out to fight. About 10 days earlier he had broken his shoulder and was waiting for surgery, yet he still chose to join the battle.

During the battle near Kibbutz Alumim, he rescued about 100 people who had fled the Supernova music festival. He killed 14 Hamas terrorists before he was abducted.

A panel of experts ruled in January 2024 that Gvili was no longer alive.

His funeral was held in his hometown on Jan. 28.

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The IDF released additional footage from recovery efforts to locate and retrieve the body of Ran Gvili, the last remaining hostage held in Gaza, whose remains were recovered several weeks ago.

The post WATCH: IDF publishes more footage from recovery of Ran Gvili’s body appeared first on World Israel News.

Hamas claimed after the IDF operation, in which Gvili’s body was located in a cemetery in northern Gaza, that it had provided Israel with information that contributed to his recovery.

By JNS

U.S. President Donald Trump gave credit to Hamas for releasing the final bodies of hostages it held in Gaza on Thursday at a cabinet meeting at the White House.

“Hamas was a big factor in getting all of the hostages back,” Trump said. “We were not happy with them, and they had to bring them back, and they found the dead hostages.”

“They did help us with those bodies, getting them out,” Trump added.

The Israel Defense Forces recovered the body of the final hostage in Gaza, Ran Gvili, on Monday.

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee wrote on Monday that Hamas “should get no credit” for Gvili’s return after months in which the terrorist group claimed that it did not know the location of his body.

“Hamas didn’t ‘release’ him—the IDF and Shin Bet found and recovered him,” Huckabee said.

Hamas claimed after the IDF operation, in which Gvili’s body was located in a cemetery in northern Gaza, that it had provided Israel with information that contributed to his recovery.

Directing questions to U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff during Thursday’s cabinet meeting, Trump said that the terrorist group would now disarm.

“And now we want to get Hamas—no guns, right?” Trump asked.

“They’re going to give it up, they’re going to give up the AK-47s,” Witkoff replied. “They’re going to demilitarize. They will, because they have no choice.”

A senior Hamas official said on Wednesday that Hamas has never agreed to disarm

“Not for a single moment did we talk about surrender the weapons, or any formula about destroying, surrendering or disarmament,” Musa Abu Marzouk claimed in an interview with Al Jazeera.

The post Trump credits Hamas in return of hostages, says group will disarm appeared first on World Israel News.

Hundreds of IDF soldiers worked in unison to recover the final hostage from Gaza, Ran Gvili, underscoring that there is nothing Israel will not do to bring home its fallen.

The post WATCH: IDF soldiers involved in the operation to recover Ran Gvili speak out appeared first on World Israel News.

After two years of searching and hope, Ran Gvili was finally brought home and laid to rest in his hometown of Meitar in a moving ceremony attended by surviving hostages, the prime minister, the president, and senior military officials.

The post WATCH: Israeli hero Ran Gvili laid to rest two years after Oct. 7 appeared first on World Israel News.

“Rani, my love,” his mother said, “because of you we remembered that despite all our disagreements, we are one nation.”

By World Israel News Staff

After 843 days of waiting, hoping, praying, and refusing to let go, Israel finally brought home its last hostage from Gaza.

In Ran Gvili’s hometown of Meitar, thousands gathered in quiet grief to accompany the Hero of Israel on his final journey, as one of the most painful chapters in the nation’s history reached its close.

Ran’s family departed Meitar for Camp Shura in Ramla under a police escort of honor. Motorcycle units from the national traffic division, patrol cars, and Southern District officers formed a long, silent convoy that moved along Highway 60, continued on Highway 6, and then Highway 431.

Israelis lined bridges and roadsides, flags in hand, tears visible from afar. This was not merely a funeral. It was a national moment of reckoning.

Ran Gvili was among the first to go out on October 7, 2023. He was the last to return.

The first to speak was his mother, Talik. “The first to go out and the last to return,” she said, thanking the crowds for their support and steadfast presence. She imagined Ran above, seated with heroes and innocents who were murdered, telling them they had to listen to her eulogy because it would be good, because it would be special. She pictured them together as heroes of renewal.

She told her son that the hope he would return was what gave the family the strength to survive the long months without him. Smiling through tears, she imagined Ran teasing her for being embarrassing, for speaking with such pride, but she insisted that pride was all she had.

For more than two years, she said, they spoke about him endlessly until he became everyone’s child, known not only across Israel but around the world. Every eulogy for another fallen soldier reminded her of him, of the spirit, of the Golani fighter and proud policeman who loved his country.

Talik recalled a moment when Ran came home and told her people had spat on him. “They don’t understand,” he said. “I am them and they are me. I’m just a policeman doing my job.”

In that instant, she said, she understood her mission: to prove that Israel is one strong people, united, and here to stay. “Rani, my love,” she said, “because of you we remembered that despite all our disagreements, we are one nation.”

Her words hardened with resolve as she spoke of finishing the mission against Hamas and Islamic Jihad. “You tried to destroy us,” she said. “Look what remains of you.” She ended simply, standing tall. “I am Talik Gvili, a very, very proud mother.”

Ran’s father, Itzik, spoke next, his voice breaking. “Rani, I always speak from the heart,” he said. Seeing the thousands gathered, he said it was impossible to grasp how many people had come because of what Ran did, because of the lives he saved and the unity he created.

“Every day we discover something new about you,” he said. Only hours earlier, the family had received Ran at Camp Shura, opened the coffin, and touched him. “Even after two and a half years,” he said, “you were completely whole.”

His brother Omri followed. “I am proud to be your big brother,” he said. “Today I can say that our lives can continue.” For the first time, he said, they had finally crossed the date of October 7. He called Ran by the nickname only he used, his little brother, even though everyone knew Ran was the big one.

He spoke of a bond beyond words, of growing up together and growing from one another. He recalled their final conversation at 10:45 that morning, when he remarked that the country was burning while Ran was home sick. Ran replied calmly, “Omri, I’m in the middle of a firefight. Is it urgent?”

President Isaac Herzog addressed the family and the crowd, calling the moment sacred and heartbreaking as Ran, the last hostage, was finally returned to the land of home. Speaking on behalf of the State of Israel, he asked forgiveness for not being there for Ran and for the long, agonizing wait imposed on his family and so many others.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke directly to the Gvili family, saying his soul had become bound with theirs. He recalled their many conversations and meetings, including a recent, emotional encounter with President Donald Trump in Florida, where he witnessed firsthand the love of parents and siblings.

Netanyahu said the moment marked the end of the painful reality of hostages held in Gaza. All had now been returned from enemy territory. He described watching Israeli soldiers inside Gaza days earlier as the final mission was completed. When Ran was identified, the soldiers broke into song, singing “Hatikvah” and “Ani Ma’amin” (“We Believe”). “If we had not believed,” he said, “we would not have found him.”

He recounted Ran’s actions on October 7. Despite a wounded shoulder, Ran armed himself and ran into the inferno. He defended Kibbutz Alumim, saved many lives, and killed 14 terrorists. Shot and wounded twice, he fought until his last bullet. “His combat,” Netanyahu said, “will be remembered for generations.”

Among the speakers were Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, Sephardic Chief Rabbi David Yosef, Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, Police Commissioner Daniel Levi, Meitar Council head Shimon Peretz, and U.S. antisemitism envoy Leo Terrell.

Psalms were recited and the Kaddish was said. As the ceremony concluded, performer and IDF reservist Idan Amedi sang “Nigmar,” “Final,” a fitting farewell.

As the crowd slowly dispersed, Israel exhaled a breath it had been holding for 843 days. One of the darkest chapters in its history closed as the final victim of the October 7 massacre was brought home.

The first to go out.

The last to return.

The post ‘The first to go out, the last to return’ – Funeral held for Ran Gvili appeared first on World Israel News.

Dozens of Israeli police officers are accompanying the body of Ran Gvili to his hometown of Meitar for burial and a funeral ceremony following its recovery from Gaza by IDF forces.

The first to go to battle – and the last to return home: The people of Israel came to bid farewell to the late Ran Gvili on his final journey
Rani’s father , Itzik reciting Kaddish pic.twitter.com/8O5QsnfTUe

— Iris (@streetwize) January 28, 2026

The last Israeli hostage, Ran Gvili, will be laid to rest today in his hometown of Meitar.

Hundreds of police officers and Israeli civilians are accompanying Ran along the funeral procession, paying their final respects to a hero who, alone and with a broken shoulder, fought… pic.twitter.com/BgsMEN9DvE

— Hen Mazzig (@HenMazzig) January 28, 2026

The Gvili family:

The funeral procession of the Hero of Israel, the late Ran Gvili , will depart at 10:30 Israeli time . pic.twitter.com/3aJoHiLcJa

— Iris (@streetwize) January 28, 2026

The post WATCH LIVE: The funeral of hero Ran Gvili appeared first on World Israel News.

Fetterman first spoke publicly about the posters on November 7, 2023, one month after the attacks in which more than 250 people were kidnapped from southern Israel.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

US Sen. John Fetterman announced Tuesday that he will remove the Israeli hostage posters that have hung in his Senate office since shortly after the October 7, 2023, attacks, following the recovery of the body of Ran Gvili, the last hostage held in Gaza.

Referencing International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Fetterman wrote on X that the display had remained in place for more than two years as a constant reminder of those abducted. “A reminder of every hostage stayed up in my office after 10/7 until they were all back home,” he wrote. “And so will my office.”

“Thankfully, after these 843 torturous days, we can celebrate a new chapter,” he added.

Fetterman first spoke publicly about the posters on November 7, 2023, one month after the attacks in which more than 250 people were kidnapped from southern Israel.

At the time, he wrote: “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.”

After confirmation that Gvili’s remains had been recovered, Fetterman posted another message expressing solidarity.

“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.”

His decision follows reports that some Jewish communities are beginning to remove public symbols connected to the hostage campaign following its conclusion.

Fellow Democrat and Israel supporter Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) also responded to the news, writing: “The body of the final hostage, Ran Gvili, has been recovered and returned to Israel. Eight hundred forty-three 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.”

The post US Democratic Sen. Fetterman kept reminder of hostages in his office ‘after 10/7 until they were all back home’ appeared first on World Israel News.

As the body of Ran Gvili returned home, Israel’s mission to recover all those taken on Oct. 7 finally reached its conclusion, with the clock marking time since the massacre coming to a stop.

The post WATCH: ‘Hostages Clock’ stops as all captives are finally returned home appeared first on World Israel News.

Footage shows Israeli officials positively identifying the remains of Ran Gvili, the last remaining hostage in Gaza, with many of the soldiers present breaking down in tears after finally completing their mission.

The post WATCH: Footage from the initial identification of Ran Gvili appeared first on World Israel News.

The crossing is expected to open on Wednesday in a preliminary phase to prepare for the movement of people in both directions.

By World Israel News Staff

Moves to reopen the Rafah border crossing are gaining momentum following the retrieval of the remains of Master Sgt. Ran Gvili, the final Israeli hostage held in Gaza, according to multiple Arab and Israeli media reports.

Senior official sources cited by the pro-Qatar newspaper Al-Arabi Al-Jadeed said the crossing is expected to open on Wednesday in a preliminary phase to prepare for the movement of people in both directions.

A senior source said a full reopening would follow once outstanding issues are resolved, including access arrangements from the Palestinian side and final approval of passenger lists.

Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya also reported that American, Egyptian, and Israeli coordination has already begun, with preparations accelerating after the completion of the first phase of the Gaza agreement.

The outlet said a European monitoring force has arrived on the Palestinian side of the crossing, while a U.S. official confirmed the reopening would be carried out in coordination with Egypt and Israel.

According to Walla, Israeli security officials expect the crossing to open initially to pedestrian traffic only, in both directions.

Sources in the IDF’s Southern Command said Palestinians leaving Gaza for Egypt would undergo security screening by European Union personnel, aimed at identifying senior militants.

Those returning from Egypt would also be checked, with the IDF and other security bodies expected to operate a controlled entry point to prevent the smuggling of weapons, military equipment, or dual-use materials.

Until recently, Israel had kept Rafah closed as leverage, conditioning its reopening on the return of Gvili’s remains. Israeli media described the policy as a clear signal that Israel would not move toward postwar normalization while Hamas still held the body of the last fallen hostage.

Diplomatic pressure on Israel to reopen the crossing intensified in recent weeks.

Last week at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Ali Shaath, a former Palestinian Authority official tapped to head a new technocratic committee overseeing Gaza, said Rafah would open “within days,” a statement that reportedly surprised Israeli officials.

Subsequent reports said the Trump administration had already raised the issue directly with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, pressing for the crossing’s reopening once the final hostage issue was resolved.

With Gvili’s remains now returned, the path has cleared for Rafah’s reopening, marking a significant shift in Gaza’s border arrangements even as security concerns remain.

The post Rafah crossing set to reopen after return of final Israeli hostage appeared first on World Israel News.

After additional checks by multiple dental specialists, prayers filled the small examination area as certainty replaced doubt.

By World Israel News Staff

New details are beginning to emerge about the intelligence and operational trail that led to the recovery of the body of Ran Gvili, shedding light on a complex effort that unfolded quietly over weeks and culminated in the conclusion of Israel’s hostage mission in Gaza.

Security officials revealed that about a month ago, Israeli forces carried out a covert operation in southern Gaza City in which a terrorist from Palestinian Islamic Jihad was seized and taken for interrogation.

According to the Shin Bet, the terrorist had been involved in military activity against Israeli forces during the war and was suspected of having direct knowledge of the location of Gvili’s burial site.

During questioning, the terrorist admitted to involvement in moving Gvili’s body between several locations and pointed to additional individuals who were aware of where he was ultimately buried.

The interrogation produced renewed intelligence that reinforced an existing assessment that the body was buried in the al-Batash cemetery in northern Gaza. That location later proved correct.

Over the weekend, the IDF launched Operation Brave Heart, acting on intelligence it said had been in its possession for months.

Troops operated in a cemetery located between the Shejaiya and Daraj Tuffah neighborhoods, just beyond the Yellow Line in an area under Israeli control.

Forces from the Alexandroni Brigade, alongside combat engineers, medical teams, and Military Rabbinate personnel, exhumed more than 200 graves, with hundreds more examined in the painstaking search.

A dentist equipped with a portable X-ray machine assisted with rapid identification using dental records, while mental health officers accompanied the troops throughout the operation.

Further insight into the final hours of the mission emerged in an interview aired on Kan News’ Reshet Bet radio station.

Lt. Col. (res.) Elisaf Verman, commander of the Southern Scanning Unit of the Military Rabbinate, described an operation marked by exhaustion, silence, and singular focus. He said teams worked continuously through freezing night conditions, extracting hundreds of bodies without pause.

Verman recounted the moment the identification became clear. He described noticing the hands of a doctor shaking over her equipment, her eyes reddening before a tear fell and a quiet smile appeared.

Later, after additional checks by multiple dental specialists, prayers filled the small examination area as certainty replaced doubt.

To prevent any leak before the family was notified, the teams continued working as usual. Only after confirmation was delivered to the family were the soldiers informed.

Nearly 150 troops gathered silently, many still stepping down from heavy machinery, when the announcement was made: Ran had been found.

“There was crying, hugging, people breaking down,” Verman said. Kaddish, the Jewish prayer for the dead, was recited beside the body, which was wrapped in an Israeli flag.

A brief military formation followed in the presence of the IDF chief of staff, before the fallen soldier was transferred to his family. “When we handed the coffin to his father,” Verman said, “a very meaningful circle closed for us in this war.”

With the return of Ran Gvili, there are no longer any hostages, living or fallen, held in Gaza. What remains are the stories behind the silence, the intelligence gathered inch by inch, and a mission that ended not with celebration, but with resolve, memory, and closure.

The post New details on the operation that brought home Israel’s last hostage appeared first on World Israel News.

Trump said attention must now shift to the next stage of the agreement, including the disarmament of Hamas.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that the final Israeli hostage had been recovered from Gaza, writing, “Just recovered the last Hostage body in GAZA. Thus, got back ALL 20 of the living Hostages, and ALL of the Dead! AMAZING JOB! Most thought of it as an impossible thing to do. Congratulations to my great team of Champions!!! President DJT.”

In remarks to Axios and Israel’s Channel 12, Trump said the return of Ran Gvili’s body completed the recovery of every Israeli hostage, living and deceased, under the first phase of his peace initiative.

He described the search as “very tough,” saying teams “had to go through hundreds of bodies” in what he called “a hard scene.”

He added, “Nobody believed we would bring back all the hostages. It was a great moment,” noting that only Israelis and the families truly grasp the importance of bringing every last remnant home.

Trump said Hamas assisted during the process, adding that information from the group contributed to the effort. He said attention must now shift to the next stage of the agreement, including the disarmament of Hamas.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote, “Incredible news. President Trump made this possible,” and told reporters: “This is a huge foreign policy victory for the President of the United States, the State of Israel and, frankly, for the whole world.”

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee called it “one of the most wonderful bits of news in a long time! ALL hostages home!”

US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz said he had met the Gvili family and prayed with them for their son’s return.

Trump adviser Jared Kushner, Rep. Ritchie Torres and World Jewish Congress President Ronald S. Lauder also issued statements welcoming the recovery of the body.

The post Trump hails return of last hostage: ‘No one believed we’d bring back all the hostages’ appeared first on World Israel News.

Itzik Gvili, the father of Ran, said a final goodbye to his son—whom he had waited two years to mourn—praising his bravery on October 7 and saying the nation stands with him.

Itzik, the father of the late Ran Gvili, said goodbye: “You had every opportunity to stay home, but you told me: ‘Dad, I will not leave my friends to fight alone.’ The whole nation is with you. I am proud of you, my son.” Photo: Police spokeswoman pic.twitter.com/B39wcBdsjX

— Iris (@streetwize) January 26, 2026

רני, אנחנו מצדיעים לך pic.twitter.com/I6ZQ0I3nO3

— משטרת ישראל (@IL_police) January 26, 2026

The post WATCH: Ran Gvili’s father bids farewell to his hero son appeared first on World Israel News.

Israeli troops sang and prayed after confirming they had found the body of Ran Gvili, the last remaining hostage in Gaza, bringing a bloody chapter in Israel’s history to a close.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, Southern Command chief Maj. Gen. Yaniv Asor and other officers and troops salute the body of Master Sgt. Ran Gvili, after it was located today in eastern Gaza City.

The forces can be heard singing Hatikvah, Israel’s national anthem. pic.twitter.com/TkaMjhOep6

— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) January 26, 2026

A group of IDF combat soldiers singing together after the body of Ran Gvili had been found and identified in Gaza https://t.co/arfjc9b93Q pic.twitter.com/YibytRUSo2

— Documenting Israel (@DocumentIsrael) January 26, 2026

Tears of Excitement and Joy at the Moments of Receiving the News that the late Ran Gueili’s body was identified in Gaza pic.twitter.com/O8fnu0GC00

— Iris (@streetwize) January 26, 2026

The same group of IDF combat soldiers answered “Amen” to the Kaddish (mourners) prayer being recited after the body of Ran Gvili was identified in Gaza https://t.co/IdKXmW9Jfj pic.twitter.com/N3M5JbT006

— Documenting Israel (@DocumentIsrael) January 26, 2026

The post WATCH: IDF troops sing ‘Hatikvah,’ pray after locating Ran Gvili’s body appeared first on World Israel News.