The Qatari channel Al-Jazeera reported on Tuesday that a deceased Israeli hostage was recovered from the rubble in the northern Nuseirat area of the Gaza Strip. The report claimed that the deceased captive had been held by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror organization. The news has yet to be confirmed by any other source at this time.
The recovery, if confirmed, would mark the second repatriation of a deceased hostage this month, following the return of Meny Goddard on November 13.
Three deceased Israeli and foreign national hostages remain in Gaza: Staff Sgt. Ran Gvili (24), Dror Or (49), and Sudthisak Rinthalak (43). Gvili, an Israeli Border Police , eliminated 14 terrorists before his capture. Dror Or was abducted from his home in Beeri, where his wife was murdered, and his two children were subsequently released in the November 2023 deal. Rienthalak, a Thai worker, was kidnapped while working in the orchards.
For months, the families of the deceased hostages have demanded the return of their loved ones for burial in Israel.
The officer who fought with a broken shoulder
Staff Sgt. Ran Gvili (24), an Israel Police Special Patrol Unit (riot police) officer from Meitar, acted with great bravery and self-sacrifice during the battle in Alumim on October 7. An expert committee officially determined on January 30 that Gvili was no longer alive. Gvili had suffered a broken shoulder approximately ten days before the massacre and was awaiting surgery.
On the morning of October 7, after his family descended to their shelter, Gvili left and returned dressed in uniform.
His father, Itzik Gvili, recalled, "Rani said he would not let his friends fight alone, and that despite the broken shoulder, he could hold a pistol. I will never forget his look – it was as if he was saying, 'I've been waiting for this my whole life.'" Gvili reached the Beersheba police station, deployed to the battle in Alumim, and was shot in his hand and leg.
His mother, Talik Gvili, explained, "Rani took cover near a eucalyptus tree and applied a tourniquet to himself. He updated his friends on the direction the terrorists were approaching from. Meanwhile, dozens of Hamas operatives arrived and surrounded him." While facing them alone, he successfully eliminated 14 of the terrorists just moments before he was kidnapped.
Despite the declaration that he was deceased, his parents expressed doubts about his death. "There are quite a few question marks arising from the details conveyed to us," Talik Gvili stated. "There are contradictions between the findings that were presented to us."
The tragic family story left without parents
Dror Or (49) was a deceased hostage from Kibbutz Beeri who was kidnapped from his home on October 7. His wife, Yonat Or, was murdered, and their two children, Noam Or and Alma Or, were kidnapped and later released in the first deal in November 2023. An expert committee determined in May 2024 that Or was no longer alive.
Dror Or was a devoted father to his three children – Yahli Or (18), Noam Or (17), and Alma Or (13). He served as Kibbutz Beeri's cheesemaker, a leading culinary professional, a yoga instructor, and a man who appreciated silence.
On October 7, terrorists reached their home in the Kerem neighborhood. The family barricaded themselves in the safe room as their house was set on fire. While inside, united and embracing, Dror and Yonat made the critical decision to get their children out through the window – an action that ultimately saved their lives. Afterward, the couple separated and attempted to escape, but both were caught and murdered. The children were kidnapped to Gaza and returned to Israel after 50 days in captivity.
His daughter, Alma Or, a survivor of the captivity, said at Hostages Square, "When I returned, I discovered that my mother had been murdered. I held onto the hope that my father was alive, and on the 208th day of the war, I discovered that my father was murdered on October 7 and then kidnapped. The pain is hard to describe in words. The deceased hostages must be returned so we can achieve closure. A child should not have to beg for the body of her father to be returned."
The Thai worker kidnapped from the orchards
Sutthisak Rinthalak(43) was a Thai national who had been employed in agriculture in Israel since 2017. He is survived by his parents and a brother. On the morning of the massacre, he was working in the orchards near Kibbutz Beeri.
On May 16, seven months after the massacre, his parents received the terrible news that their son had been murdered and his body was being held in Gaza. He was one of eight Thai citizens kidnapped to the Strip. Approximately two weeks after the massacre, his aunt was interviewed in Thailand and recounted that Rinthalak sent money to his parents. On the day of the massacre, a video was shared from the terrorist attack in which she witnessed her nephew being kidnapped.
