‘Won’t give up’: Hostages Square candle-lighting held to urge release of Ran Gvili

Mother of last captive held in Gaza says Hamas ‘deceiving’ Israel and US over the whereabouts of his remains

The family of slain hostage Master Sgt. Ran Gvili was joined by supporters at Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square on Sunday night for the last night of Hanukkah, vowing to continue the public campaign for the return of his remains.

Gvili, who was killed while battling Palestinian terrorists at Kibbutz Alumim in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, is the last captive held in the Gaza Strip, after Hamas released all the remaining living hostages and the rest of the slain captives as part of the ceasefire deal that took effect this October.

Israel has reportedly told mediators that terror groups know where Gvili is buried, accusing Hamas of violating the first phase by not handing over his body.

“Hamas is deceiving us. Hamas is deceiving the State of Israel. Hamas is deceiving the United States as well,” Gvili’s mother Talik told the rally in Tel Aviv, according to a statement from the Hostages and Missing Families Forum.

“We will not give up until Rani comes home. We cannot move on. We cannot let anyone rebuild their lives and move forward at Rani’s expense. We are one people, and we owe this to ourselves. We owe it to Rani, who did everything to protect all of us. Rani is my son, but he is also the son of you all,” she added.

Other speakers included the mothers of Omer Shem Tov, who was freed as part of a ceasefire deal earlier this year, and Yonatan Samerano, whose remains were recovered from Gaza by the IDF following his murder and abduction on October 7, with both similarly vowing to demonstrate until Gvili’s body is handed over.

“We will not give up, we will not disappear, and we will not be silent,” vowed Shelly Shem Tov.