United States ambassador to the United Nations, Michael Walz, met with the parents of slain Gaza hostage Ran Gvili, to discuss the ongoing efforts to retrieve his remains on Monday, according to a statement released by the Government Press Office.
Coordinator for the Hostages and the Missing Brig.-Gen. (Res.) Gal Hirsch and Israel’s UN ambassador, Danny Danon, were also present at the meeting.
Gvili is the last remaining October 7 hostage still held by Hamas in Gaza.
According to the statement, Ambassador Waltz affirmed the US’s obligation to ensure the completion of the return of all hostages taken during Hamas’s brutal October 7 massacre.
Walz also expressed a personal feeling of obligation to return Ran Gvili to Israel for a proper Jewish burial.
Gvili’s parents, Talik and Itzik Gvili, have been extremely outspoken in their calls to bring their son home.
Itzik Gvili, during a November 30 rally held in Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square, appealed to mediators “to clarify that there is no next stage and no 'day after' in Gaza before Ran is home."
"We're at the last stretch, and we have to be strong, for Rani, for us, and for Israel. Without Rani, our country can't heal," Talik Gvili said in a Monday interview with Reuters.
Ongoing efforts to bring Ran Gvili home
Hamas reportedly began renewed searches for Gvili's remains on Sunday.
An earlier N12 News report on Friday alleged that Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad had knowledge regarding the whereabouts of his remains, which are suspected to be in the Gaza City area.
An October US-proposed Israel-Gaza ceasefire deal mandated the return of all hostages, living and deceased, held by terrorist organizations in Gaza. A 72-hour deadline for the return was originally set, but that condition was not met.
The delay in return led to the postponement of rebuilding efforts in the Gaza Stip, which are suspected to begin after the final hostage remains are finally returned.
Reuters contributed to this report.