The mother of the last hostage in Gaza says Israel will not heal until he, or his remains, are returned home, and that the next phase of the peace plan should not proceed until he returns.
Police officer Ran Gwilyi was one of 251 hostages captured and taken to Gaza by the Palestinian militant group Hamas during an attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023.
Israeli authorities say they believe he is dead, but his body has not been found and his family is clinging to a faint hope that he is still alive, Reuters reports.
"We are on the last stretch and we must be strong, for Rani, for us and for Israel. Without Rani, our country cannot heal," his mother, Talik Gwilyi, told Reuters.
Posters featuring Ran Gwilyi's image have been placed along the streets of Meitar, his hometown in southern Israel.
When Hamas attacked, he was at home recovering from a broken collarbone. He quickly donned a uniform and joined the fight against Hamas gunmen around Kibbutz Alumim, not far from Gaza.
Gwilyi, who was 24 at the time, was seriously wounded, and Israeli authorities said he did not survive long after being taken to Gaza, his mother said.
"We want to feel him, we want to feel even a hint of doubt (that he died)," his mother said, adding: "Maybe it's just wishful thinking."
Israel and Hamas reached a ceasefire agreement in October, which reduced but did not completely end violence in Gaza after two years of war.
The ceasefire, backed by the United States, includes an obligation for Hamas to release all remaining hostages in exchange for about 2.000 Palestinian detainees and convicts held in Israeli prisons, as well as the bodies of 360 deceased Palestinians.
At the time of the agreement, 48 hostages remained in Gaza, 28 of whom were believed to be dead. Now only Gwilyi is still in Gaza.
After the return of all hostages, the ceasefire agreement is expected to move to the next phase, which would address issues such as the future administration of Gaza and its reconstruction, although both sides accuse each other of violating the ceasefire.
Much of Gaza has been left in ruins since Israel launched an offensive in response to Hamas's attack - which Gaza health authorities say has killed more than 70.000 Palestinians - so the search for Gwilyi's remains has been ongoing.
When asked about the possibility of Israel continuing negotiations on Gaza before he is returned, his mother replied: "Absolutely not. We will not allow that to happen."
The plight of the hostages led to the creation of a citizens' movement dedicated to their return. Posters with their faces were placed along highways, at bus stops, skyscrapers, stores, and homes across Israel, and people gathered weekly in a square in Tel Aviv that became known as Hostage Square, demanding their release.
"We are not alone," said Talik Gvili, adding that she feels support and solidarity from across the political spectrum.
She describes her son as a strong and kind-hearted person who always cared about those weaker than him.
"We are happy that everyone has returned, except for Rani, we have become one big family, so every hostage who has returned has brought relief. But someone had to be the last, and it seems that was our fate," she said.
"But that's how he was, he always made sure that others were okay first."
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