On Monday, 843 days after he was killed and kidnapped into Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023, the body of Ran Gvili, the last remaining Israeli hostage held by Hamas, was returned. Gvili, a police officer, was 24 on the morning of Hamas’ terror attacks in southern Israel. Despite being on leave due to a fractured shoulder, Gvili joined other members of his unit at the entrance to Kibbutz Alumim to defend the kibbutz community. There, he was killed in combat and abducted to Gaza. 

The recovery of Gvili’s body from a cemetery in Gaza City by the IDF marks a turning point in the Jewish communal world’s advocacy for the hostages, a cause that has been a central priority since Oct. 7, 2023, driving sustained efforts to lobby policymakers and cultivate public support. 

In October, the return of the remaining living hostages provided a sense of catharsis for the community, allowing a shift in focus toward supporting those who came home, caring for their families, addressing long-term needs and rebuilding Israel. Today, in addition to welcoming Gvili’s return, offering condolences and thanking political figures involved in hostage negotiations, Jewish communal institutions and professionals expressed a sense of closure.

On X, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum wrote a tribute to Gvili: 

“Ran, with his broad shoulders and radiant smile, was all heart. A true friend, loved by everyone. He loved life, was a young man of deep values, always spoke at eye level, and carried a powerful yet calm presence,” the statement said. “The Hostages and Missing Families Forum bows its head in sorrow and shares in the profound grief of the Gvili family. There are no words to express the depth of this pain.”

The Jewish Federations of North America, in addition to thanking the Israeli Defense Forces, American and Israeli leadership and “all those who persevered in bringing home all of the 251 hostages,” praised Gvili for his actions on Oct. 7, 2023, and offered condolences to his family. 

“His willingness to fight for his community and sacrifice on behalf of the Jewish people are the very definition of heroism,” the statement said. “The return of Ran Gvili closes one of the most painful chapters in Jewish history in our lifetime — even as we continue to mourn, remember, and honor all those who were lost.”

Betsy Berns Korn, chair of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, and William Daroff, the organization’s CEO, issued a similar statement, thanking President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for “securing the return of all of Israel’s fallen.”

“With this return, a painful chapter comes to an end. For the first time in more than a decade, no Israeli citizen remains held hostage in Gaza. This moment marks the close of an era and affirms a national promise that Israel does not abandon its own, in life or in death,” Daroff and Berns Korn said. “We also honor the resolve of Israeli society and Jewish communities around the world who kept global attention focused on the hostages, sustained the families, and insisted that this mission be completed.”

Though the American Jewish Committee also issued a separate statement, in a post on his personal X account, Ted Deutch, the AJC’s CEO, described the organization’s advocacy for the release of the hostages alongside families of the hostages, and pledged to remain by their side “through the challenging days ahead.” 

“This is the moment we’ve prayed and fought for over the last agonizing 843 days.

I’ve come to know so many families of the hostages over the past two years and I hold them all in my heart today,” Deutch wrote. “Now, finally, healing can begin.”

He continued: “Healing all for the survivors who endured unimaginable pain and suffering. Healing for all the families whose kids, moms, dads, uncles, aunts, grandfathers, and grandmothers were murdered and can now be laid to rest in peace. Healing for all those who lost loved ones on or since the October 7 massacre, including families of the heroic IDF soldiers who fell defending the Jewish state. And healing for Israel and the Jewish people, who have navigated this heart-wrenching time, suspended between fear and hope, with so much resilience and strength.”

In a statement on X, the World Jewish Congress described the events surrounding the location of Gvili’s body, and offered condolences to his family. 

“Slain Israeli hostage Ran Gvili is finally coming home…His body is being brought back to Israel for burial. Our hearts are with the Gvili family, which [will] finally be able to heal with the return of their son,” it said. 

The Anti-Defamation League expressed condolences to Gvili’s family, and noted the end of “a horrific chapter.”

“Today, a horrific chapter that began on 10/7 is finally closing, but our relief is mixed with heavy sorrow and pain. May Ran’s memory be a blessing, and may this moment bring some measure of peace to his family and Am Yisrael. Today we can finally say — they are all home.”

Several other Jewish organizations and individuals also shared their wishes for ongoing peace in the region. 

Michael Koplow, chief policy officer at the Israel Policy Forum, weighed in on the potential impact of Gvili’s return on the ongoing Gaza peace process. 

“Bringing Ran Gvili back to Israel for burial closes the book on the most painful chapter in Israel’s history. Hopefully this will not only bring closure to all of those who fought so hard for the hostages’ return, but also allow a tough policy process to advance a bit more,” Koplow wrote. 

“Israelis and Palestinians alike deserve a future free of violence in which both can live in peace, safety, and dignity,” the Jewish Council for Public Affairs said in a statement. 

“We cannot imagine the torture his family have endured and are with them and all the bereaved families as this significant news sinks in. May this moment herald a new and better future for all peace-loving people in the region,” Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, chief rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth said in a statement. “Let us continue to embrace the bereaved and hostage families as they continue their journeys of mourning. Their lives will never be the same again and we are with them every step of the way.”

Religious institutions also weighed in, with the Orthodox Union, United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism and Union for Reform Judiam expressing relief, condolences and hopes for peace.

“Jewish tradition includes the mitzvah of kevod hameit – that honoring the dead and bringing them to burial is a holy obligation — an affirmation of human dignity even in the face of unbearable loss,” the USCJ’s statement said. “Even as we mourn, we also pray for the renewal of the people and the land; for healing for all who are wounded in body and spirit; for strength, resilience, and the beginning of a long process of restoration and comfort. We continue to yearn for a day when Israelis and their neighbors can live with dignity and security, and when the words of our daily prayer for peace — ‘Sim shalom ba’olam’ — are no longer an aspiration, but a lived reality.”