Father of last slain Israeli hostage fears his son won’t return

The father of Israel Police Master Sgt. Ran Gvili, one of two deceased hostages still held in Gaza, said on Thursday that Hamas claims not to know where his son’s body is located and expressed fear Israel may never recover him.

“We pray that there won’t be another Ron Arad, another Goldin, and that we won’t carry this around for many, many years,” Itzik Gvili told the Kan public broadcaster. “Hamas says they’re looking, but they don’t see any progress. They’re shaking us up, playing games, and hanging us.”

Lt. Col. Ron Arad is an Israeli Air Force navigator who ejected over Lebanon in 1986, was captured by the Amal terrorist group and was later handed over to Hezbollah. He is still missing.

Lt. Hadar Goldin was killed in Gaza during a 2014 battle with Hamas and his remains were held there before being returned to Israel earlier this month.

Gvili said neither Israel nor the terrorist groups in Gaza know his son’s location. He noted that the Hostages and Missing Families Forum is closing “because there is no justification for keeping this entire organization focused on one kidnapped person.”

Ran Gvili, 24, a Yasam counter-terror unit police officer, left the hospital on Oct. 7, 2023, to rush to the defence of civilians under attack. He was scheduled for surgery at the time.

He was killed that day while battling Hamas terrorists at Kibbutz Alumim.

“He went out to save people, he wasn’t kidnapped,” his father said. “Just as Rani didn’t forget the country that day, so I don’t want the country to forget him.”

The bodies of two murdered hostages remain in Gaza, those of Gvili and Thai agricultural worker Sudthisak Rinthalak.

JNS