The long and agonizing wait will come to an end for the family of Master Sergeant Ran Gvili on Wednesday. The police officer who charged into battle on October 7 despite his own injuries makes his final journey home. As his convoy winds its way south from the Shura Camp to the quiet town of Meitar, a nation stands in silent salute to a hero who gave everything.
Video: President Herzog a the funeral / Credit: CONTACT
Gvili, the defender of Alumim (a kibbutz near the Gaza border). Gvili left his home on October 7 – despite suffering from a shoulder injury – and drove to fight with fierce determination against the Hamas terrorists infiltrating Israel.
Following the recovery of his body to Israel in Operation "Brave Heart," Gvili was to be laid to rest in the cemetery of Meitar (a town in southern Israel), the community he called home.
14:35 | National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir:
"Dear Gvili family, Talik, you teach us what pride of a nation means. You too, Itzik, give us a lesson in how to be a proud people."
14:25 | Chief Sephardic Rabbi David Yosef: "The miracle repeats – Ran Gvili returns whole in body, a wonder of wonders"
"Tens of thousands of Jews were slaughtered by the Romans as written in the Gemara, and they didn't stop there. They didn't permit burial of the bodies and used the corpses to build fences for their vineyards. They erected a fence 18 kilometers (11 miles) long at the height of a person. From this we understand the enormity of the terrible disaster – the incomprehensible quantity in the Bar Kokhba revolt. These things happened about 50 years after the destruction of the Temple. After a long time, the Romans permitted burial of the bodies. Our sages established a special blessing for this – the blessing of HaTov VeHaMeitiv – the blessing we still say today in the Grace After Meals. The Gemara explains: HaTov that they were given for burial, and HaMeitiv that they didn't decay."
"The bodies remained whole. 1,900 years passed and history repeats – the entire people of Israel fought to bring our fallen to Jewish burial, and behold, the miracle also repeats itself. Ran Gvili returns whole in body, a wonder of wonders."
"The Holy One Blessed Be He is the God of Israel. He loves us; the nations of the world, not so much. Unfortunately, we face antisemitism. We who rose up basically just want to survive, to live, and the world accuses us when we want to defend ourselves."
"They hate us because we're Jews, we're the chosen people, we're 'a people that dwells alone,' but we're Jews and we must be proud of what we've merited. The people of Israel forever, and it won't help anyone – we'll be here eternally with God's help."
"It's no secret we're in a very difficult period, a time with great internal division within us. Everything that's happened to us in recent years – we've gone through a very great crisis – we must also look at the glass half full. There's no people like this that when one is hurt, a soldier is killed, the entire nation mourns and aches. When there was an attack in distant Australia on the first night of Hanukkah, I went to the Western Wall to light a candle, and we were there not like on Hanukkah night but like on Tisha B'Av, in great pain because we're all one people. What we've been through proves we're still one people; we love each other – we have a great goal here that we can unite around."
14:00 | Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: "We believed, acted, and found Rani"
"Itzik, Talik, Omri, and Shira, the wonderful Gvili family – I say this in Biblical language in the name of my wife Sara and in my name: Our soul is bound with your souls. We've spoken many times and met many times; we crossed continents and seas together, including recently in a heart-stirring meeting with President Trump in Florida. We saw up close with intense emotion what parental love is and what sibling love is. We embraced you in your pain, and today too we embrace you with the entire people as Rani, hero of Israel, is brought to Jewish burial."
"Closing the grave of Rani's tomb seals the painful reality of the presence of Israeli captives in Gaza. We brought them all home from enemy territory. We watched yesterday as our soldiers in the depths of Gaza completed the national mission. When Rani was identified, our soldiers burst into mighty song. They sang at the top of their lungs Hatikva, and they also sang – and this stirred my heart – they sang Ani Maamin. If we hadn't believed, we wouldn't have found; we wouldn't have acted, and the wounds would have been open forever. But we believed, acted, and found Rani, and thus we achieved what we yearned for 844 days – to bring all our brothers and sisters home, and this is still not the end. We're also committed to the other goals: dismantling Hamas from its weapons, demilitarizing the Strip, and we'll achieve this too."
"President Trump, like me – and I saw it on his face – was deeply impressed by the nobility of spirit of Itzik and Talik, Omri and Shira. And there I thought to myself: Rani merited being a son to great parents, and his parents merited a great son. I looked into their eyes and promised – we'll find Ran and return him to you. And indeed, the moment we were informed that Rani is in our hands was a distilled moment of shared destiny and mutual responsibility. The eye bitterly weeps and the heart rejoices. Sorrow mixed with uplifting of spirit. In the moment of truth, we're always together, in good and bad."
"Hatikva"- the hope 🇮🇱
IDF commanders pay their respect to the last hostage found in Gaza, Israeli hero Ran Gvili z"l
All for one. Leave no man behind! pic.twitter.com/XRuuNO38fp— LTC Nadav Shoshani (@LTC_Shoshani) January 26, 2026
"We've been granted the privilege to memorialize Ran by establishing a new settlement in the Negev. The planned settlement Renannim, east of Beersheba, will express in its name the magnitude of Rani's contribution to his people. We'll also establish a pre-military academy in Rani's name, an academy that will prepare youth for police units, Border Police, and Yasam and will instill his spirit in generations of fighters. May his memory be blessed."
13:52 | President Isaac Herzog: "Rani finally returns to the landscape of his homeland – I'm sorry"
"I felt I understood again, understood well, in what home such a hero grew, like Rani; from what strength of spirit, courage, values, and beauty he drew. We've been granted a privilege, an enormous privilege, to accompany you in a long and tormenting period of anxiety, longing, and yearning. An entire people accompanied you and all the hostage families hundreds upon hundreds of days. We discovered in you again and again and again – in you and in all the hostage families, and of course in the captives themselves – a hidden light of beautiful Israel. We discovered in you – and in the hostage families, of course in the beloved female and male captives – true diamonds that were revealed in the depths of the dark inferno. We saw many and diverse hostage families, a mosaic of countless faiths, worldviews, positions, and ways of life. And at the same time – truly at the same time – we saw them as one symbol – prominent and unique – of exemplary Israeliness. Infinite courage, determination, patriotism, humanity and compassion, standing tall, and a spine made of steel."
"Beloved Gvili family – since it became known of Rani's return, I found myself thinking about you and about Rani constantly – as tears choke my throat. And in all those moments of silence and tears, I asked myself one simple question – why? Why only in moments of pain, of darkness, do we discover – apparently 'suddenly' – the wonderful people, Israelis, who are here. Here, in this sacred moment, I call to the entire public, to all the house of Israel: Don't wait for funerals and memorial ceremonies! Don't wait! Go now – today, tomorrow – say a good word, embrace, strengthen – the female and male soldiers of the IDF, regular service, career, and reserves; the female and male police officers; all the security, emergency, rescue, education, health, and welfare personnel. All those who do kindness. All who bore on their hearts the photos of the captives. All who love their neighbor as themselves. They walk beside us in the street. They're in line at the supermarket. They're on the bus, at parent meetings, at the workplace, in studies. They're here, right here – reach out and touch them. Reach out and embrace them."
"Dear Gvili family, behold, Rani finally returns to the landscape of his homeland, to true rest in the soil of home; and it – receives him into its bosom, with love and gratitude. His return is also an enormous moment for an entire nation. A moment when – as you said – pride is stronger than sorrow. In this moment, I ask of you, as President of the State of Israel, in the name of the State of Israel: I'm sorry. I'm sorry we weren't there for him. I'm sorry that together with so many families, you were forced to wait for the return of your beloved so many long days, so many tormenting days. May the soul of the nation's hero, Staff Sgt. Rani Gvili, be bound in the bond of eternal life; and may his memory be engraved as an eternal legacy among all the souls of our beloved brothers and sisters, heroes of glory."
13:41 | Sister Shira eulogized her brother Ran while mother Talik wept hearing the eulogy: "The memories are arrows to the heart"
"Hey Rani, my friend, I just can't believe you're here. When Mom came into my room two days after October 7 and said it would probably take time until you return, I didn't believe it would take so much time. I remember when you left the house that something bad was about to happen. I remember I told myself in my head: Open your eyes – this is the last time you'll see him, and I just stood on the side and didn't do anything. There's not a day that the thought doesn't pass through me: What would have happened if I'd prevented you from leaving?"
"The forest is not the same forest; there are no more beautiful clothes, and the schnitzel is no longer tasty. Our things – the outings to the forum, the fooling around, our laughter, the fights – they've ended, and I'm left only with memories that are like arrows to the heart. Who will call me Shosh? And give me a wet kiss on the cheek? Who will watch over me so nothing happens to me? In these two years, I lost you and then myself. I promised you I'm choosing life, and I swear to you that even though it was hard for me, I chose it, and I promise you I'll be well. You always came back to me, in dreams, in messages. I always knew that when I'd be well, you'd come to me."
"Now permit me to remove the uniform and the title 'sister of a captive,' just to go back to being Shira. Do you remember our dream – South America – everything was ready. Your desire to do it with your little sister. I love you, am proud of you, and ask that you always come to me in dreams."
13:27 | Omri, Ran's brother: "I've closed the circle – my hero brother has come home"
"I'm proud to be your big brother. I can say today that our lives can continue, that we've finally passed that day, 10.7.2023. Rani – I'll use the nickname that's only mine – Rani, my little brother, but as everyone knows, he's the big one."
"I'm so proud to be the one who grew up with you and raised you and grew from you. We had a friendship and love that was beyond anything, with crazy intensity. We loved doing our things. I remember that cursed day in the last conversation with you at 10:45 when I tell you: Look, the whole country is burning and you're at home, and you say to me, 'Omri, I'm in the middle of an encounter, it's urgent,' and I say, 'What encounter?' and start to stress, and I come back to you and you say to me, 'Omri, let me finish,' and to this day I'm waiting. But today I closed the circle – my hero brother has come home."
"Our pride is family pride, but it's of our entire country – I wish for all of us that we'll all be Rani. I want to say to everyone – the state and the citizens, the police, our family, the mighty and enormous army with endless strength – seeing you return my brother home, there's no victory picture stronger than this. You deserve applause. To say thank you to the family, to my wife, to my parents, to my mother who's already become an alpha lioness – I'm saying Mom to you, Rani, and I commit that you can be above in pride and quiet. I'm taking upon myself to watch over everyone. True, our pain is enormous, but the pride in you is stronger than it."
13:25 | Father Itzik Gvili: "You're arranging everything from above"
"Every day we discover something new about you. Even a few hours ago when we received you in line and touched you after two and a half years, completely whole. We kissed you, and for those who don't know – Rani was body 250 in the excavations. And 250 in gematria is Ran. This is another thing we received from you – as if you're arranging everything from above."
"Even the military plot in the cemetery was finished only days ago. I'm so proud to be your father, and you're missing from me every second and every minute. I love you and miss you. Thank you all so much for the honor you've given us – this is for him, not for us."
13:17 | Talik Gvili, Ran's mother: "Thanks to you, we remembered that despite disagreements, we're one people"
"First to leave and last to return. Thank you all for the support and accompaniment. Rani, I imagine you above in the stands with all the heroes of the kingdom, with all the innocent who were murdered. I imagine you saying to them: You must hear my eulogy; it's going to be cool. All of you with arak, all of you, all heroes of the revival."
"I just wanted to tell you, my beloved son, that the hope you'd return to us only gave us the strength to get through this period without you. I imagine you saying to me, 'Mom, embarrassing, enough with the proud proud,' but that's what I have. All these two years and four months, we dug and told about you endlessly, and it seems you became everyone's child – they know you not only in the country but in the world. I heard so many eulogies for the fallen, and each one reminded me of you – the spirit, the Golanchik, and a proud policeman who loves the country."
"I remembered you came home one day and said to me, 'Mom, they spit on me – don't they understand that I am them and they are me, that I'm just a policeman doing my job?' In that moment, I understood that this is my mission: to prove to everyone that we're one strong people and we're here to stay. Beloved Rani, thanks to you we remembered that despite the disagreements, we're one people."
"We're still on a mission to eliminate them all – Hamas, Jihad. You tried to eliminate us; see what's left of you. The heroes of the kingdom give us the strength to complete the mission. I'm Talik Gvili, a proud, proud mother."
13:13 | The Gvili family, together with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Isaac Herzog, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, Police Commissioner Danny Levy, and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir entered the ceremony area
12:37 | The Prime Minister's convoy arrived in Mitar
Police closed the gates of the stadium in Mitar where the eulogy ceremony is to take place. Due to the meticulous security check, the pace of entry to the sports center is very slow and sometimes stops completely. Crowds are waiting at the entrance, and it's unclear if they'll be able to enter.
12:15 | The convoy arrived in the area of Mitar settlement
12:03 | Security screening of those coming to the eulogy ceremony at Mitar stadium
10:22 | Police officers salute the funeral convoy of Ran Gvili
10:18 | The funeral convoy left Shura Camp for Mitar settlement
The formal funeral procession began at Shura Camp at 10:30 a.m, with dozens of police offers standing in salute along the road, with Israeli flags spontaneously displayed by Israelis from all walks of life.
At 6:30 a.m., Gvili's family departed Meitar for the Shura Camp (the IDF Rabbinate base near Ramla), escorted by a police convoy comprising the National Motorcycle Unit of the Traffic Division, along with patrol cars and motorcycles from the Southern District's Sahar Unit.
Both the convoy's journey and the state eulogy ceremony werwe broadcast live. The police invited the public to pay their final respects to Gvili and to stand along the convoy route in support of him and his grieving family.
