Thousands of people lined the roads of southern Israel on Wednesday to pay their respects to Police Master Sgt. Ran Gvili, the last Israeli hostage held in Gaza.
Gvili will be buried in his Negev hometown of Meitar.
A member of Yasam, an elite police unit, Gvili was at a hospital waiting to undergo surgery for a broken shoulder on the morning of October 7, 2023, when he learned of Hamas’s attack on southern Israel. He rushed home, put on his uniform, and joined other personnel heading to Kibbutz Alumim.
Gvili is credited with rescuing around 100 people who fled the nearby Nova Music Festival, and with killing 14 Hamas terrorists. The last word heard from Gvili was when he texted a friend saying he had been shot in the leg.
The military declared Gvili dead based on intelligence in January 2024.
Gvili’s remains were found in Gaza City cemetery
Gvili’s remains were found in a cemetery in Gaza City and brought back to Israel on Monday. According to military assessments, Palestinian Islamic Jihad likely buried Gvili with other terrorists, not realizing who he was.
Gvili, an avid guitarist, motorcyclist, and amateur carpenter, is survived by his parents, Itzik and Tali, and a brother and a sister.
Around 1,200 people were killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken captive by Hamas during the October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel.
This is a developing story.