Ziv Tzioni, the uncle of slain hostage Sergeant First Class Ran Gvili, said Sunday that the family is demanding Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu set a clear ultimatum for Hamas to return his nephew’s body, as the United States pushes to move the Gaza cease-fire agreement into its second phase.
Speaking in an interview with ynet’s, Tzioni said the prospect of advancing to the next stage while Gvili remains in Gaza has left the family deeply anxious.
“There is a very difficult feeling, painful, unsettling. It’s stressful for us,” he said. “The process hasn’t happened yet; they’re only building the framework. Steve Witkoff said the condition for moving to phase two is Rani’s return. That calms us a bit, but it’s only a first condition. I very much hope they stand by it.”
Gvili’s mother, Talik Gvili, recently returned from the United States, where she met with officials and advocates. “She came back encouraged,” Tzioni said. “She feels more confident. The situation is better than it may seem.”
Still, he warned that advancing to the next phase would be disastrous for the family. “If we move forward, we push Rani’s return further away,” he said. “Preparations and plans will move ahead. Hamas is supposed to disarm to move forward, and they are not willing to do that. This is, in my view, a test.”
Tzioni said the family is calling on Netanyahu and the cabinet to set a clear deadline. “That’s what we are demanding,” he said. “An ultimatum of four to seven days to bring Rani back. It can’t be dragged out any longer. Hamas knows exactly where he is and is holding him as a bargaining chip.”
Asked about U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement of a “Gaza Executive Board” that would include representatives from Turkey and Qatar, Tzioni said Netanyahu is known to oppose Turkish involvement but acknowledged the limits of Israel’s influence.
“In the end, peace is made with enemies,” he said. “If that board can somehow produce peace, maybe it’s good. We don’t trust Qatar and Turkey, but it’s not in our hands. From our perspective, just bring Rani back.”
Chikli: Turkey is a greater threat than Iran
“The Turkish foreign minister is an enemy of Israel in his heart and soul,” Chikli said. “This is someone who called Sinwar a martyr and Haniyeh his brother. At this very moment, Turkey is involved in the ethnic cleansing of Kurds in Syria.”
Chikli warned that the threat posed by Turkey could reach Israel’s borders. “Anyone who thinks we won’t encounter these jihadist forces on the Golan Heights is mistaken,” he said. “Turkey today is the greatest danger to Israel, even more than Iran.”
Chikli praised Netanyahu for issuing a rare public statement rejecting the makeup of the Board of Peace, noting that Gvili’s body has not yet been returned. “Anyone who thinks Hamas will voluntarily disarm should show me how,” he said.
Former national security chief: Trump already decided
Former National Security Council head Brig. Gen. (res.) Prof. Jacob Nagel said Israel’s ability to block Turkish or Qatari participation is limited.
“It’s clear Trump decided in advance,” Nagel said. “Preventing Turkish troops from joining a stabilization force is critical, and Israel has insisted on that. Preventing representatives from sitting on the board is something Israel cannot stop.”
Nagel said the situation is “not good, but not the end of the world,” noting that the board includes dozens of members and that no international force has yet taken shape due to reluctance by countries to deploy troops.
Nagel also addressed reports that Trump considered striking Iran but held back after a message from Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to envoy Steve Witkoff.
“Trump decides alone,” Nagel said. “He hasn’t decided what kind of strike he wants. Khamenei’s rhetoric is pushing him closer to action. Trump must strike Iran, even symbolically, to show protesters there that they have backing. Entering negotiations without that would be catastrophic.”
Lawmaker calls for resettlement of Gaza
Religious Zionism MK Zvi Sukkot said Jewish settlement in Gaza is inevitable. “There is no other solution,” he said. “Anyone who thinks otherwise does not understand Gaza.”
He compared allowing Turkey and Qatar to take part in Gaza’s future to “letting the cat guard the cheese,” accusing both countries of supporting Hamas.
Addressing expansion in Judea and Samaria, Sukkot said bluntly: “We didn’t kill the Palestinian state. We already killed it.”
As pressure mounts to advance the cease-fire framework, Gvili’s family says one demand must come first. “Bring him home,” Tzioni said. “Nothing else matters until then.”