“I really hope he knows what he’s talking about. It only proves that Hamas knows where Rani is. And if they know where he is, then let’s finish this already,” said Talik Gvili on Wednesday, responding to remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Talik is the mother of the last slain Israeli hostage, believed to be held in Gaza, special police patrol unit fighter Sergeant First Class Rani Gvili. She spoke to the ynet after Trump pushed for progress toward a second phase of the deal and said: “It looks like we know where he is.”
In the interview, Gvili said her family had been told that the initial stage of phase two focuses on disarming Hamas. “That’s something that ultimately needs to be encouraged,” she said. “What was explained to us is that phase two is not about rebuilding Gaza, it’s about dismantling Hamas’ weapons.”
She added that if there is specific information that the family does not know but Trump does, “we would be incredibly happy if they bring Rani back already. We are exhausted.”
Gvili stressed that the family has received no new concrete indications about her son’s whereabouts. “There are assessments and different directions, but nothing truly new that emerged yesterday,” she said. Still, she noted that meetings the family held in the United States left them somewhat encouraged. “We received clear promises that Rani will be brought back.”
According to Gvili, hearing repeated assurances from US officials helped ease some of the strain. “When you understand that everyone there is working on this, it gives a certain sense of calm. Everyone knows the story, everyone talks to us and tells us they’re involved. We really hope it will lead to results.”
Addressing concerns that moving to phase two might delay the return of her son, Gvili rejected the idea that the goals conflict. “Bringing Rani back is an absolute objective,” she said. “I know how the IDF and the Shin Bet work, and how the special units we are in contact with operate. They are all in.”
She added that while diplomatic pressure around phase two is complex, the family draws a clear line when it comes to Gaza’s reconstruction. “When it comes to rebuilding the Strip, we are absolutely not willing to accept that, and everyone knows it,” she said. “We hope we’re not being misled, and that real efforts are being made to bring Rani home.”
“We are holding on to a lot of hope,” Gvili continued. “We are waiting, and we trust the IDF, the Shin Bet, the government and anyone who can help, that they are making every possible effort. But we are simply tired. This is a journey we feel we are on quite alone as a family.”
Trump referred to Gvili in a speech marking a year since his return to office, saying: “We got the 28 hostages; they have one left, that we think we know where it is. Amazing.” In Jerusalem, officials expressed surprise at the remark, as Israel does not know Gvili’s precise location, only the general area.
Gvili’s parents, Itzik and Talik, said Trump’s words “prove what we’ve been saying for three months: Hamas knows exactly where our son is and is deliberately violating President Trump’s framework and the agreement to return all hostages.”
They called on both the Israeli government and the US administration to “use their full leverage to ensure Hamas fulfills its part of the agreement or faces sanctions.”