“First to Go Out, Last to Return”: Ran Gvili Laid to Rest After 843 Days

After 843 days, Staff Sergeant Ran Gvili was laid to rest on Wednesday in his hometown of Meitar, bringing a painful national chapter to a close. Gvili, the last Israeli hostage whose body was held in Gaza, was buried following a state funeral attended by thousands of mourners, senior officials, security forces, and his family.

The funeral marked a collective moment for Israel, sealing the fate of those taken on October 7. With Gvili’s burial, Israel closed the chapter of hostages whose bodies remained in Gaza, a reality that had weighed heavily on the country for more than two years, and the first time in nearly 12 years without any Israeli hostages, living or dead, held in Gaza. The ceremony reflected a rare convergence of grief, pride, and national resolve, as leaders and citizens alike stood together in silence.

A funeral procession accompanied Gvili’s coffin from Camp Shura to Meitar, passing through central highways under a police escort. Along the route, citizens stood with Israeli flags and candles. Some saluted. Others wept. The burial itself was held privately, without media presence, at the family’s request.

Gvili’s mother, Talik, opened the eulogies with a voice marked by grief and pride. “From that cursed day, every time a tear appears, I remember you whispering to me: ‘My proud mother.’ First to go out, last to return." She reflected on the 843 days of waiting, saying, “I hoped you would come back on your own two feet, and that gave me strength. Our pride is much, much stronger than our pain.” At the funeral she spoke of the hope that carried the family through the long wait, imagining Ran telling her, “You’re not crying, you’re proud.”

His father, Itzik, spoke of the long road that led to his son’s return. “Ran was the 250th body examined, and the numerical value of Ran is 250. Everything about you was precise. You are everyone’s child, and I am so proud to be your father.”

Gvili’s brother, Omri, recalled their final conversation on the morning of October 7. “I told you, ‘The whole country is on fire and you’re home sick.’ You answered me, ‘I’m in the middle of an encounter, can I call you back?’ I’m still waiting for that call.”

In one of the most emotional moments of the ceremony, Gvili’s sister played a recording of his voice. “Don’t worry, my sister. Everything is okay,” he could be heard saying. The short sentence echoed across the crowd, leaving many in tears.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the burial marked the end of a painful national reality. “The sealing of Ran Gvili’s grave closes the painful chapter of Israeli hostages in Gaza. We returned them all, the living and the fallen. If we had not believed, we would not have found him.”

President Isaac Herzog spoke of loss and regret. “The last hostage is finally brought to eternal rest in the soil of home, the home he loved and fought to defend. I can only regret that I did not merit knowing him in his lifetime.”

Gvili’s body was recovered last week following a months-long intelligence operation in eastern Gaza. His remains were found in a mass grave in the Shuja’iyya neighborhood, where more than 250 bodies were examined before his identification was confirmed through dental records.

On October 7, Gvili was officially on medical leave, suffering from a broken shoulder sustained in a motorcycle accident. Despite this, he put on his uniform and joined the fighting near Kibbutz Alumim. He helped rescue survivors from the Nova music festival before being wounded, captured, and taken into Gaza.