Family of Ran Gvili receives final hostage pin from Israel's National Memorial Hall for the Fallen

The family of Master Sgt. Ran Gvili received the final hostage pin to be removed from Israel’s National Memorial Hall for the Fallen, symbolizing both personal closure for his loved ones and collective closure for the nation.

In a deeply symbolic ceremony on Mount Herzl yesterday, the hostage pin was removed from the brick bearing Gvili’s name and it was presented to his family, marking the return of the last abducted Israeli soldier from Gaza.

Herzl Shmuel, deputy head of the Soldier Commemoration Unit, underscored the responsibility of the State of Israel and its people to remember, commemorate, and tell the stories of the fallen, “from generation to generation.”

In his remarks, he said, “The last hostage pin has been removed from here, from Memorial Hall, but the memories of the sons and daughters and the story of their bravery will forever remain among the bricks of this hall, etched in stone and in the heart of the entire nation.” The walls of the hall encircle a torch-like monument inscribed with the names of the fallen soldiers, which the Ministry of Defense says was designed to connect their personal stories to the history of the State of Israel.

Organized by the Israeli Ministry of Defense’s Families, Memorial and Heritage Division, the ceremony was attended by the Gvili family, MOD officials, and representatives of the Israel Police, IDF, and security forces.

Gvili, a police officer, was killed in combat on the morning of Oct. 7, 2023, after rushing to defend Israel's border. Hamas terrorists abducted his body to Gaza, where it remained until its recovery through Operation Brave Heart.

In a recent interview with KAN News, members of the IDF units involved in the operation described it as giving them “an extraordinary understanding of who the people of Israel are and what they are willing to do for this sacred mission to bring everyone home.”