Crowds gather at entrance to Meitar as police convoy escorting Ran Gvili’s coffin nears

The police convoy accompanying the coffin of fallen police officer Master Sgt. Ran Gvili makes its way to Meitar, the Beersheba bedroom community where Gvili’s family lives and where he will be buried.

Community members stand at the entrance to Meitar, holding Israeli flags as they wait to salute the police van carrying Gvili’s body to the funeral as it nears the town.

Itzik and Talik Gvili, wearing black T-shirts bearing their son’s image, are accompanying the convoy, stopping along the route periodically to hug and greet police officers on hand for the funeral.

Police officers on horseback stand to attention, near the entrance to the community sports center where the funeral service is being held.

Supporters and neighbors accompany the van as it heads past the Meitar school yard, which is surrounded by Israeli and Israel Police flags. After all the other hostages were returned to Israel, Gvili’s family held weekly Saturday night rallies there, urging the government and US President Donald Trump to bring his body back before moving on to the second phase of the Gaza deal.

School kids, teenagers, families, neighbors and scores of police officers are present for the funeral.

A large banner at the front of the site shows Gvili in uniform and reads: “The first to go out and the last to return.”