Friends and family attended a funeral in Meitar, Israel on Wednesday (January 28) for the last Israeli captive recovered from Gaza as the country's political leaders also attended his funeral.

Mourners stood in silence, watching the convoy's arrival on a screen ahead of the funeral.

Ran Gvili, an off-duty police officer, was killed fighting militants during the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on southern Israel. His body was then seized and taken into Gaza by the Islamic Jihad militant group, Israeli officials say.

Gvili was among about 250 people abducted during the attack, where around 1,200 people were killed, according to Israeli tallies, and set off the war in Gaza in which Palestinians health authorities say Israel killed more than 71,000 Palestinians.

Hundreds of people stood on the sides of the road to welcome the convoy carrying Gvili's remains as it headed to his hometown of Meitar where Gvili's family greeted senior Israeli government officials, including Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The return of the last hostage and his burial will mark a moment of national healing for Israelis.

It also completes a core aspect of the initial phase of U.S. President Donald Trump's plan to end the war. The second stage, which Washington announced had started earlier this month, includes the reopening of Gaza's Rafah border with Egypt.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

MEITAR, ISRAEL (JANUARY 28, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

1. VARIOUS OF MOURNERS, SOME COVERED WITH ISRAELI FLAG, WATCHING CONVOY OF FINAL ISRAELI HOSTAGE, RAN GVILI, ARRIVING AT MEITAR

2. PEOPLE AT FUNERAL

3. POLICE OFFICERS CARRYING COFFIN OF FINAL ISRAELI HOSTAGE, RAN GVILI, PLACING IT ON GROUND

4. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE AT FUNERAL

5. HAND ON LEG

6. POLICE OFFICERS AT FUNERAL / POSTER OF FINAL ISRAELI HOSTAGE, RAN GVILI

7. RELATIVES OF FINAL ISRAELI HOSTAGE, RAN GVILI, SPEAKING

8. (SOUNDBITE) (English) 53-YEAR-OLD AUNT OF FINAL ISRAELI HOSTAGE, RAN GVILI, HAREL PLACHINSKY, SAYING:

"He is our nephew, he is her cousin. We love him. We miss him very much. He was a huge part in our family, in our heart. And it doesn't matter if he's a hero, he is still our kid and we miss him a lot. And this is a sadness that we are feeling right now."

9. (SOUNDBITE) (English) 30-YEAR-OLD COUSIN OF FINAL ISRAELI HOSTAGE, RAN GVILI, HADAS ZILBER, SAYING:

"I think for the country it's a huge achievement knowing that there's no more bodies of kidnapped or or leaving kidnapped in Gaza."

10. (SOUNDBITE) (English) 53-YEAR-OLD AUNT OF FINAL ISRAELI HOSTAGE, RAN GVILI, HAREL PLACHINSKY, SAYING:

"This is some kind of ending the war, for after 843 days, we have achieved that -all our hostages is at home. We are not staying inside of Gaza. And I think that the seventh of October is ending today."

11. FRIEND OF FINAL ISRAELI HOSTAGE, RAN GVILI, OMRI EFRATI, CARRYING FLAG AT FUNERAL

12. (SOUNDBITE) (English) FRIEND OF FINAL ISRAELI HOSTAGE, RAN GVILI, OMRI EFRATI, SAYING:

"Today's a very special day. I think for all the Israeli people, but for us especially and for me, because Rani (Ran Gvili) was a very good friend of mine, he.. me and him grew up together. And finally, after too many days, he came home and we are very excited but also very sad because that was not the end we expected. But finally we can rest and start rebuilding ourselves."

13. 31-YEAR-OLD FRIEND OF FINAL ISRAELI HOSTAGE, RAN GVILI, GIL, CRYING

14. (SOUNDBITE) (English) 31-YEAR-OLD FRIEND OF FINAL ISRAELI HOSTAGE, RAN GVILI, GIL, SAYING:

"More than two years we've been waiting for Rani (Ran Gvili) to come back home. We hoped for another ending, so we're happy that now he is here and yet it's very difficult to to have him back the way he is. But it's kind of a relief."

15. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE AT FUNERAL