“The burial of Ran Gvili brings an end to the painful reality of the existence of Israeli hostages in the Gaza Strip,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday (28 January) as Israel laid to rest the last captive recovered from Gaza after the 7 October, 2023 attacks.
Hundreds of mourners attended the funeral of Ran Gvili, an off-duty police officer killed while fighting Hamas militants during the attack on southern Israel. His remains were later taken into Gaza by the Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad, Israeli officials said.
Of the roughly 250 people abducted during the October 7 assault, Gvili was the final hostage to be returned, dead or alive.
He was buried in his hometown of Meitar in southern Israel after a funeral procession that began at Camp Shura, the military facility where victims of the attack were identified.
Police officers and civilians carrying Israeli flags lined parts of the route as Gvili’s casket was driven to the cemetery.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog also delivered a eulogy, saying the nation mourned Gvili, who was 24 when he died. “The shattered fragments of our hearts can slowly begin to gather toward healing and repair,” Herzog said.
Among those attending the procession was Tzvika Mor, whose son Eitan Mor was taken hostage and released last October. “So we’re here to say goodbye and to stand with the Gvili family,” he said, calling Gvili a hero.
Gvili’s aunt, Harel Plachinsky, described the burial as a moment of closure. “This is some kind of ending the war,” she said. “I think that the seventh of October is ending today.”
Under an October agreement brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump, Hamas and other groups agreed to return all remaining hostages, alive or dead, in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners. The burial of Gvili completes a central element of the deal’s initial phase.
The return and burial of the final hostage is widely seen in Israel as a moment of national healing following what many consider the most traumatic event in the country’s history.
The second stage of the plan, which Washington said began earlier this month, also includes the reopening of Gaza’s Rafah border crossing with Egypt.
The United States and Iran reported measured progress after a new round of indirect talks in Geneva aimed at resolving the dispute over Tehran’s nuc...
An unidentified man was taken into custody on Tuesday (17 February) after running towards the U.S. Capitol carrying a loaded shotgun and wearing tacti...
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has warned that clearing the vast of rubble in Gaza could take up to seven years at the current pace, ...
Peru’s Congress has voted to censure and remove José Enrique Jeri Ore from his posts as President of Congress and acting President of the Republic,...
France celebrated Olympic gold in the men’s biathlon relay in Anterselva on Tuesday (17 February), following a thrilling race marked by an electric ...
The United States and Iran reported measured progress after a new round of indirect talks in Geneva aimed at resolving the dispute over Tehran’s nuclear programme.
An unidentified man was taken into custody on Tuesday (17 February) after running towards the U.S. Capitol carrying a loaded shotgun and wearing tactical gear, according to Capitol Police Chief Michael Sullivan.
Peru’s Congress has voted to censure and remove José Enrique Jeri Ore from his posts as President of Congress and acting President of the Republic, just four months into his tenure, citing undisclosed meetings with Chinese businessmen and alleged hiring irregularities.
France celebrated Olympic gold in the men’s biathlon relay in Anterselva on Tuesday (17 February), following a thrilling race marked by an electric atmosphere at the stadium.
Cuba’s fuel crisis has turned into a waste crisis, with rubbish piling up on most street corners in Havana as many collection trucks lack enough petrol to operate.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards navy held military exercises in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday (16 February), state-linked media reported. The drill took place a day before renewed nuclear negotiations between Tehran and Washington in Geneva.
The 2026 Munich Security Conference (MSC) unfolded over three intense days in Munich, confronting a defining question of our era: has the post-Second World War international order collapsed - and if so, what will replace it?
Canadian Prime Minister, Mark Carney, announced on 16 February that the Honourable Janice Charette has been appointed as the next Chief Trade Negotiator to the United States. She's been tasked with overseeing the upcoming review of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA).
Ruben Vardanyan has been sentenced to 20 years in prison by the Baku Military Court after being found guilty of a series of offences including war crimes, terrorism and crimes against humanity.
The United States and Iran reported measured progress after a new round of indirect talks in Geneva aimed at resolving the dispute over Tehran’s nuclear programme.
An unidentified man was taken into custody on Tuesday (17 February) after running towards the U.S. Capitol carrying a loaded shotgun and wearing tactical gear, according to Capitol Police Chief Michael Sullivan.
Peru’s Congress has voted to censure and remove José Enrique Jeri Ore from his posts as President of Congress and acting President of the Republic, just four months into his tenure, citing undisclosed meetings with Chinese businessmen and alleged hiring irregularities.
France celebrated Olympic gold in the men’s biathlon relay in Anterselva on Tuesday (17 February), following a thrilling race marked by an electric atmosphere at the stadium.
Day 11 of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics delivered decisive performances, medal celebrations and emotional tributes as the Games moved deeper into their final stages.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment