Netanyahu Vows to Bring Back Last Israeli Hostage, Offers Support to Families

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In a poignant conversation with the family of Ran Gvili, the last Israeli hostage still held in Gaza, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed his government's commitment to securing the officer's safe return. Gvili, a 24-year-old member of Israel's elite Yasam police unit, was killed in action on October 7, 2023, during the devastating Hamas-led attack on southern Israel. His body remains in Gaza, and Netanyahu's office has assured Gvili's parents, Talik and Itzik, that extensive efforts are underway to bring it back for a proper Jewish burial. In a separate conversation with Thailand's ambassador to Israel, Boonyarit Vichienpuntu, Netanyahu updated him on the progress made in securing the release of Sudthisak Rinthalak, the only other Thai national still held captive in Gaza. Rinthalak, 43, was one of several Thai laborers killed in the October 7 attack and whose bodies were taken to Gaza. The US-sponsored ceasefire agreement, which took effect on October 10, requires Hamas to return all 48 hostages it held captive, including the 20 who are still alive. While Hamas has returned 46 hostages, including the body of a fallen soldier who was abducted over a decade ago, the families of the remaining hostages are growing increasingly anxious. In response, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum has organized a rally in Tel Aviv, calling on the public to stand with them and demand the safe return of Ran and Sudthisak. The forum's statement read: 'Tonight, the families of the hostages and returnees are calling on the public to come to Hostages Square and stand alongside them with a clear message: Ran and Sudthisak must come home, we cannot let this opportunity slip away!'