Hamas announced on Tuesday that together with Palestinian Islamic Jihad, it will transfer a deceased hostage at 16:00 local time. According to the terrorist organizations, he was found in central Gaza on Monday.
Islamic Jihad said Monday night that it had formally located a deceased hostage. Qatar’s Al Jazeera channel reported that the evacuation of the deceased hostage took place amid the rubble in northern Nuseirat in the Gaza Strip. According to the report, the deceased hostage had been held by Islamic Jihad.
Red Cross staff in the Gaza Strip. Photo: AP
Earlier Tuesday, the Prime Minister’s Office criticized the delay in transferring the deceased hostage. “In light of Islamic Jihad’s announcement that it located remains of a deceased hostage, Israel views the delay in its immediate transfer with the utmost severity. This constitutes another violation of the agreement,” the statement said.
Three deceased hostages remain in Gaza: Staff Sgt. Ran Gvili, 24; Dror Or, 49; and Sudthisak Rinthalak, 43. Gvili, a member of the Israel Police’s Yasam special patrol unit, killed 14 terrorists before being abducted. Or was taken from his home in Kibbutz Be’eri; his wife was murdered and his children were released in the November 2023 deal. Rinthalak, a Thai agricultural worker, was kidnapped from the orchards where he worked.
The officer who fought with a broken shoulder
Staff Sgt. Ran Gvili (24), an Israel Police Special Patrol Unit (riot police) officer from Meitar, acted with great bravery and self-sacrifice during the battle in Alumim on October 7. An expert committee officially determined on January 30 that Gvili was no longer alive. Gvili had suffered a broken shoulder approximately ten days before the massacre and was awaiting surgery.
On the morning of October 7, after his family descended to their shelter, Gvili left and returned dressed in uniform.
His father, Itzik Gvili, recalled, “Rani said he would not let his friends fight alone, and that despite the broken shoulder, he could hold a pistol. I will never forget his look – it was as if he was saying, ‘I’ve been waiting for this my whole life.'” Gvili reached the Beersheba police station, deployed to the battle in Alumim, and was shot in his hand and leg.
Staff Sgt. Ran Gvili
His mother, Talik Gvili, explained, “Rani took cover near a eucalyptus tree and applied a tourniquet to himself. He updated his friends on the direction the terrorists were approaching from. Meanwhile, dozens of Hamas operatives arrived and surrounded him.” While facing them alone, he successfully eliminated 14 of the terrorists just moments before he was kidnapped.
Despite the declaration that he was deceased, his parents expressed doubts about his death. “There are quite a few question marks arising from the details conveyed to us,” Talik Gvili stated. “There are contradictions between the findings that were presented to us.”
The tragic family story left without parents
Dror Or (49) was a deceased hostage from Kibbutz Beeri who was kidnapped from his home on October 7. His wife, Yonat Or, was murdered, and their two children, Noam Or and Alma Or, were kidnapped and later released in the first deal in November 2023. An expert committee determined in May 2024 that Or was no longer alive.
Dror Or
Dror Or was a devoted father to his three children – Yahli Or (18), Noam Or (17), and Alma Or (13). He served as Kibbutz Beeri’s cheesemaker, a leading culinary professional, a yoga instructor, and a man who appreciated the silence.
On October 7, terrorists reached their home in the Kerem neighborhood. The family barricaded themselves in the safe room as their house was set on fire. While inside, united, Dror and Yonat made the decision to get their children out through the window – an action that ultimately saved their lives. Afterward, the couple separated and attempted to escape, but both were caught and murdered. The children were kidnapped to Gaza and returned to Israel after 50 days in captivity.
The Thai worker kidnapped from the orchards
Sutthisak Rinthalak (43) was a Thai national who had been employed in agriculture in Israel since 2017. He is survived by his parents and a brother. On the morning of the massacre, he was working in the orchards near Kibbutz Beeri.
Sutthisak Rinthalak
On May 16, seven months after the massacre, his parents received the terrible news that their son had been murdered and his body was being held in Gaza. He was one of eight Thai citizens kidnapped to the Strip. Approximately two weeks after the massacre, his aunt was interviewed in Thailand and recounted that Rinthalakhabitually sent money to his parents. On the day of the massacre, a video was shared from the terrorist attack in which she witnessed her nephew being kidnapped.
