Nearly 800 days after Hamas’ Oct. 7 massacre, the bodies of two hostages remain in captivity in Gaza: police officer Sgt. First Class Ran Gvili and Thai national Sudthisak Rinthalak.
On Thursday, the mother of the last Israeli hostage killed and held in Gaza, Talik Gvili, spoke emotionally about her son in an interview with ynet. “Nothing fits Rani more than being the first to charge in and the last to come home,” she said.
According to a report by Al Jazeera, both the Red Cross and Hamas' military wing have been conducting searches in Gaza City’s Zeitoun neighborhood in recent days in search of the missing hostage.
Sgt. First Class Gvili, 24, from the southern town of Meitar, was killed on Oct. 7 while fighting in Kibbutz Alumim. Despite recovering from a serious motorcycle accident and suffering a broken shoulder, Gvili joined the battle. He was scheduled to undergo surgery but chose instead to rejoin his unit. Before being killed, he reportedly helped rescue dozens of civilians from the Nova music festival near Kibbutz Re'im that came under heavy attack. His body was subsequently taken into Gaza by Hamas terrorists.
“This has been a turbulent time,” his mother said, speaking just days after the return of the body of Dror Or, another hostage killed and held in Gaza. “On the one hand, there’s joy for the hostages who came back and for the families who can finally breathe again. We absolutely believe that efforts will continue until they bring everyone back, just as they promised. This is not the Ron Arad story. Gaza is different,” Gvili said, referring to an Israeli airman who went missing in 1986 after being captured in Lebanon, and his fate has never been conclusively determined.
Gvili’s mother said the family receives regular updates and believes progress is being made. “We know where he went in. Searches are underway there. We hope they’ll find him—maybe even a miracle. The Red Cross teams are active on the ground. We get daily updates and hope the efforts bear fruit,” she said. “From day one, I’ve imagined him coming back on his feet. It’s not easy to picture, but that’s the image I hold onto.”
Recalling the events of October 7, she shared new details about his final battle. “Rani reached the western side of Kibbutz Alumim. At one point, he radioed his team to warn that more vehicles carrying terrorists were approaching. He opened fire, and they came at him. He fought them alone, injured in both his leg and arm, and he took down those monsters.”
She ended with a message to the public and the media: “We still feel the support from the press and hope it stays with us until everyone is brought home. The love and support we get from the public are incredible. Keep praying, keep embracing us—it gives us strength. He’s a true hero.”