Amid the outcry from the Gvili family, which is demanding that Israel not move to Phase B in the Gaza Strip before the return of the last slain hostage, Ran, Israeli officials are unwilling to say whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has agreed to open the Rafah crossing ahead of Sunday’s meeting of the security cabinet. “We hope that Ran Gvili will be returned this week and that we can move forward,” an Israeli official said Saturday evening.
Netanyahu met later in the day with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, envoys of US President Donald Trump. Despite Israeli claims that the meeting was positive, anger was voiced in Jerusalem over pressure from Witkoff to open the Rafah crossing before the return of the final hostage.
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Kushner, Netanyahu and Witkoff at a Cabinet meeting in October
(Photo: Maayan Toef/ GPO)
An Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity, delivered unusually harsh criticism in a conversation with ynet. “Witkoff pushed to bring our greatest rival, Turkey, to our border. The clock is ticking toward a confrontation with Turkey, which would pose a real threat to our security,” the official said. Israeli sources again stressed that the meeting between Netanyahu and Trump’s envoys was good, but criticism of Witkoff continued. “Witkoff has become a lobbyist for Qatari interests,” the Israeli official claimed.
Earlier Saturday, the Gvili family, whose son has been held in Gaza for 841 days, appealed to Netanyahu and urged him to “focus efforts on bringing him back.” The family said it was calling on the prime minister to tell the “respected American envoys” that anyone seeking to advance Gaza’s reconstruction and peace in the Middle East should first concentrate on returning Rani home.
In the evening, a rally was held at Keshatot Square in Sha’ar HaNegev with the participation of the hostage’s family, calling for his return. Former captive Eitan Horn spoke of his admiration for Ran and his bravery. Talik, Ran’s mother, called on the Americans to complete the deal with Hamas in full, and Danny Miran, the father of former captive Omri Miran, urged Trump to focus on the return of the Yamam fighter who was killed defending Kibbutz Alumim.
“Iran and Gaza’s reconstruction do not matter right now,” Miran said. “Only one thing matters, Ran.”