Family of hostage Ran Gvili asks gov’t not to proceed to next phase of ceasefire until his body is released

By Jessica Steinberg

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5 December 2025, 3:59 pm

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Jessica Steinberg, The Times of Israel's culture and lifestyles editor, covers the Sabra scene from south to north and back to the center

Shira Gvili, sister of Ran Gvili, whose body is still held hostage in Gaza, speaks at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv on December 5, 2025. (Lior Rotstein/ Hostages Forum/ File)

Shira Gvili, the sister of Master Sgt. Ran Gvili, whose body is the final remaining hostage in Gaza, speaks at a Kabbalat Shabbat service this afternoon at Hostages Square. Former hostage Yocheved Lifschitz, from Kibbutz Nir Oz, is also present at the rally.

“This is the first Shabbat that Rani has remained alone there,” says Gvili. “I ask again to reiterate the demand not to proceed to phase two until Rani is home. To compel Hamas to return Rani to the country he loved so much.”

US President Donald Trump’s administration is aiming to announce the transition to the second phase of its Gaza peace plan in about two weeks, a US official confirmed to The Times of Israel, maintaining the fragile ceasefire the US brokered between Israel and Hamas nearly two months ago.

Ran Gvili, 24, was last heard from on October 7, 2023, when he set out to join the fight against Hamas in southern Israel amid the Palestinian terror group’s invasion. He fought terrorists at Kibbutz Alumim and was killed in battle; his body was abducted by Hamas to Gaza.

The Gvili family continues speaking about Ran in the present tense, refusing to call him a fallen soldier or to refer to him in the past tense until his body is returned to them.

Shira Gvili tells the gathering at Hostages Square that her brother is always the first to help, assist, and save. She calls him the “unsung hero,” a charismatic, strong, calm, brave leader.

The Gvili family announced earlier in the week that, as the final hostage family, they had agreed with the Hostages Forum to end the weekly Saturday night rallies, but decided to use the Friday afternoon gathering, organized most weeks by one of the kibbutz communities from the Gaza envelope region, as a rally for Ran Gvili.

There are other rallies and sit-ins taking place around the country on Friday and Saturday evening.

Shira Gvili says her family has done everything they could over the last two years, attending countless meetings, giving interviews, shouting, asking, pleading, and praying.

“Continue to stand with us, think of my Rani, of all of our Rani,” says Shira Gvili.