Talik Gvili, the mother of the last hostage in Gaza, Ran, was interviewed by Maariv before departing with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to meet with US President Donald Trump, which was published on Friday.
“We know the chances are so small, so minuscule, but we fight for this belief because it’s what keeps us going in this terrible period. We have 0.0001% hope that maybe Rani is alive. So yes, it’s crazy, but compared to the alternative, it’s something.”
Before he became a police officer, Gvili enlisted in the IDF's Golani Brigade. Gvili, the last remaining hostage in Gaza, had wanted to serve in a combat role, but was injured during basic training and fractured his femur. Talik recalled being summoned to the hospital in the evening, waiting anxiously and terrified outside the operating room.
“The doctor came out and told my husband and I, 'We inserted plates and screws into your son, and he’ll need long-term rehabilitation. There’s no chance he’ll be able to return to combat,'” she recounted. “And we were happy. Because in some way, Rani was always the first to jump in, the first hero to volunteer for every mission. We thought, now he’ll move to a desk job, and we’ll finally be able to sleep at night.”
But then the wounded soldier woke up and learned of the extent of his injuries.
“He lifted his head, tried to sit up," Talik added. "He looked at the doctor and said: ‘Listen carefully, within four months I’m coming back, and you’re signing off on my return to combat.’”
And then what?
“That’s exactly what happened. Ran attacked rehabilitation with everything he had. He trained on the physiotherapy machines from morning till night. When they discharged him home, he forced the staff to bring us a personal physio machine and kept working on it like there was no tomorrow. Four months later, he showed up at the doctor’s office and got approval to return to his unit. Two months after that, he completed a 60-kilometer march on foot. My Rani had immense mental and emotional strength. So I rely on that even today,” she said.
“The intelligence is that Ran was not killed on the spot. We know he was wounded in the heroic battle at Kibbutz Alumim, hit by a bullet in his hand and shoulder area. Intelligence believes he didn’t receive medical treatment and therefore didn’t survive," she added. "But for us, these assessments aren’t official or definitive. There’s no conclusive picture proving his death. We want to believe he lost consciousness, was taken to Gaza severely wounded, received medical care there, and is still alive and hidden. We want to believe that."
Does that help you cope with the long wait for his return?
“We’re very realistic. We understand the situation. When we ask ourselves how Ran would want his life to end, it’s clear to us that if he could choose, he would do exactly what he did on October 7 again and again, even if he knew how his heroic act would end. That thought also gives us tremendous strength.
“When we were told everyone was coming back, we felt euphoric joy and gratitude. It was truly unimaginable. A year earlier, someone donated a Torah scroll to us. They began writing it on the previous Simchat Torah, and we insisted it wouldn’t be just for Ran’s return, but for the return of all the hostages. Three days after the Torah scroll was completed, the deal to return everyone was signed.”
And what of the last deal that promised everyone would be home?
They didn’t announce names until everything was verified. So each time there was enormous hope followed by a crash of disappointment. And each crash was more painful than the last.
"We’ve been on autopilot for two years. Believing everyone is doing their maximum and that someone has to be last. That’s how we lost the lottery, I say.”
Do you have any idea why it was you who 'lost the lottery'?
“In our case, no one really knew where Ran was being held. That didn’t bode well for our place on the list. They never said that because of this, he’d be among the last to return, but they said efforts were being intensified to search for him and that they believed they’d eventually find him as well. We knew there was some problem. He was also abducted alone, not near other hostages, so there wasn’t enough information.
“There’s the fear that we’ll be left alone. Someone once asked me if we’re afraid to let go, and I said: I’m strong, but I’m afraid that you, the citizens of this country, will let go. That you’ll forget. Because we saw what happened to the beloved Goldin and Shaul families, who cried out alone for so many years. We’re afraid of ending up there. On the other hand, I see the public, hear the voices, feel the wide embrace we’re receiving from all corners of the country."
When did you learn the circumstances of the abduction?
“Only later. For the first two days, we knew nothing and focused on searching for him," she recounted. "We called all the emergency centers and checked if any unidentified person had arrived. We went to hospitals and searched for Rani among the wounded, but he wasn’t there either. It was complete chaos. There were many wounded in the field, and many bodies arriving hour by hour. Two weeks later, they informed us that he was definitely a hostage in Gaza.”
What kind of bond formed among the hostage families?
“We became one family, and therefore always understood the other side. We didn’t accept everyone’s opinion, but we respected it. We told each other: in every family there’s one who thinks this way and one who thinks differently, and on Friday nights they argue, and that’s fine,” she responded.
Who do you think is to blame for the failure of October 7?
“Everyone. The Shin Bet was supposed to identify the signs and pass on the message; the army was supposed to stand guard. There’s no doubt that both failed," she answered. "A commission of inquiry must examine who initiated the failure. Did the Shin Bet not give any warning, and the army chose to do nothing, or the other way around?”