Mother of last deceased Israeli hostage asks PM not to move ahead with next step of Gaza plan until her son is back

Talik Gvili, the mother of deceased hostage Ran Gvili, says that during her conversation with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday, she asked the premier to ensure that Israel does not advance to the next phase of the plan for Gaza until her son is returned to Israel for burial.

With just two slain hostages left in Gaza — Gvili and Sudthisak Rinthalak — mediators are looking to move ahead with the next step of US President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan for the war-torn Palestinian enclave.

The second stage of the plan will require Israel to withdraw further from the so-called Yellow Line, alongside the establishment of a transitional authority to govern Gaza, the deployment of the multinational security force meant to take over from the Israeli military, the disarmament of Hamas and the start of reconstruction.

Gvili says that Netanyahu told her and her husband, Itzik, about the “great efforts” being made to locate and return their son’s body.

“The prime minister promised to return Ran to us,” she says. “I asked the prime minister not to move to phase two (of the plan) until Rani returns.”