The family of the final Israeli hostage whose remains were recovered from Gaza heartbreakingly hailed him as a hero as his body was brought home Monday — noting he chose to fight even while injured.
Ran Gvili, 24, was killed when he jumped into action during the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack despite orders for him to stay home because of a broken collarbone.
“You dummy, you had every chance to stay at home,” said Gvili’s grieving father, Itzik, when presented with Gvili’s coffin during a heartbreaking ceremony Monday — 843 days since Gvili was slain and his corpse taken by Palestinian Hamas terrorists back with them to Gaza, the Times of Israel said.
“But you said, ‘Dad.’ What did you tell me? ‘I won’t leave my friends to fight alone,’ ” Itzak said.
Gvili, a member of the Israeli Police Special Forces, was at home recovering from a broken collarbone when Hamas invaded Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
Despite his injuries, Gvili rushed to protect residents from the nearby Kibbutz Alumim, where he was badly wounded in the fight against Palestinian terrorists and died on the journey into Gaza, Israeli officials said.
Itzik said his son likely died with zero regrets as he fought to protect others, with the father thankful for the display put on for Gvili’s coffin as it was brought to the Jewish nation awaiting the return of its final victim.
“You should see the respect that you’re getting here, everyone who brought you,” Itzik said, addressing his late son as he walked beside the military procession entering Israel.
“The whole police force is with you, the whole army is with you, the whole nation is with you. I’m proud of you, my son,” the father added.
Itzik said he took some solace in the fact that his son helped unite the nation, which was eagerly awaiting the return of Gvili’s remains to close a chapter on a painful part of Israel’s history.
Gvili’s mother, Talik, gave a special thanks to President Trump, his son-in-law Jared Kushner, his envoy Steve Witkoff and the people of Israel for their work in returning her son’s body.
“Our pride is much, much stronger than our pain,” she said. “The people of Israel live and are strong.”
Israeli Police Commissioner Daniel Levy, who helped lead the procession for Gvili’s homecoming, said the young man was the “DNA” of the force, with the chief lamenting that Gvili was unable to return home alive like many of the other hostages.
“We salute you, we respect you, and we apologize… that we could not save you and bring you back alive,” he said.
Gvili’s body, which was feared to be lost, was finally identified after a “large-scale operation” in a cemetery in northern Gaza over the weekend, according to the Israel Defense Force.
The operation involved exhuming and testing about 250 bodies after Hamas revealed that he may have been buried there.
The officer’s body, which was identified by dental and fingerprint records, will be buried Wednesday.
