TEL AVIV/CAIRO, Jan 27: A clock in a Tel Aviv square that became a rallying point for Israelis demanding the release of hostages taken during the October 2023 Hamas attack will be turned off on Tuesday, 844 days after it began counting their captivity.
The shutdown follows the discovery in Gaza of the body of the last remaining hostage, which was announced by the Israeli military on Monday. Ran Gvili, 24, was an off-duty police officer recovering from an injury, who was killed fighting militants that had infiltrated Israel during the 2023 attack.
Gvili's mother, Talik, speaking to reporters late on Monday, after her son's body was recovered, thanked those who had supported the family during the 27 months since the 2023 attack.
"We have a closure. Rani returned home an Israeli hero, really, an Israeli hero and we're the most proud of him in the world," she said.
In Israel, the return of the last hostage has been anticipated as a moment of national healing. The Hamas attack, the bloodiest killing of Jews since the Holocaust, was widely seen as the most traumatic event in the country's history. �"REUTERS
