Hostages and Missing Families Forum Shuts Down After All Gaza Hostages Returned

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum announced on Monday that it has officially terminated its operations, following the return from Gaza of the last deceased hostage, Ran Gvili.

Gvil was held in Gaza for 843 days before his body was returned to Israel for burial. His return marked the completion of the Forum’s stated mission and closed the chapter on all hostages held in the Gaza Strip.

In its announcement, the Forum said it had “completed its mission: 255 hostages were brought home. Of these, 87 were returned for burial, while others returned to begin their journey of rehabilitation.” The total includes 251 people abducted on Oct. 7, as well as four Israeli civilians who had been held in Gaza for years prior to the war.

The Forum noted that “Day 843 marked the first day since 2014 when there were no hostages in Gaza,” referencing Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul, who were killed during fighting in Gaza in 2014, as well as Israeli civilians Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed, who were released alive on Feb. 22.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum was established on Oct. 8, 2023, less than 24 hours after the Hamas attack. Founded by families of the abducted, the nonprofit organization set out to work through every possible channel in Israel and internationally to secure the return of all hostages.

Over time, the Forum served as both a headquarters for advocacy efforts and a central support framework for hostage families, coordinating activities in Israel and abroad while assisting families as they navigated the prolonged period of captivity and uncertainty.

In its closing statement, the Forum expressed gratitude to Jewish communities outside Israel for their sustained involvement throughout the war. “Jewish federations across America and communities around the world stood with the Israeli people in ways that were both unprecedented and deeply personal,” the statement said, citing support from communities across the United States, Europe, and beyond. According to the Forum, this support became essential to maintaining its operations and advancing its mission.

The Forum added that this commitment “reflected the truest sense of family,” concluding that it demonstrated “that the Jewish people, wherever they live, are truly one.”

The Forum formally concluded its statement by quoting the Talmud: “He who saves a life, saves an entire world.”