New York — Israel and Jewish communities around the world marked a somber and emotional moment today as the remains of Staff Sergeant Major Ran Gvili were returned to Israel from Gaza, 843 days after he was killed during the Hamas-led invasion of southern Israel on October 7, 2023. The recovery has prompted renewed debate over Israel’s security and the future of Palestinian statehood, with one prominent pro-Israel organization calling for a definitive end to any such discussions.
Americans For a Safe Israel, one of the oldest pro-Israel advocacy groups in the United States, said the return of Gvili’s remains underscores what it describes as the fundamental dangers inherent in establishing a Palestinian Arab state alongside Israel. In a statement released following the recovery, the organization argued that the events of October 7 demonstrate that Palestinian sovereignty would be used as a platform for further attacks against Israel.
Gvili, a Staff Sergeant Major and elite fighter in Israel’s Yamam counterterrorism unit, was killed while attempting to rescue civilians during the Hamas assault. His body was taken into Gaza, where it remained for more than two years. Israeli authorities confirmed that his remains were recovered and returned to Israel, allowing his family and the nation to begin a formal period of mourning.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog addressed the return in a post on X, formerly Twitter. “Ran Gvili, the hero, returns to his homeland’s landscape after 843 days,” Herzog wrote. “The Yamam fighter who went out to save lives finally returns to his country, his family, and his land. An entire nation is moved to tears.”
Herzog has previously acknowledged that the October 7 attacks altered his own views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos one year ago, he said, “The idea of the two-state solution is something which, on record, I supported in the past, many times. But I had a wake-up call following October 7.”
Americans For a Safe Israel cited Herzog’s remarks as evidence of a broader shift within Israeli society. According to the organization, Israeli public opinion has long been skeptical of Palestinian statehood, particularly in areas adjacent to Israel’s coastal population centers. The group argues that the October 7 attacks reinforced those concerns.
“Not surprisingly, most Israelis see the idea of a Palestinian state differently than the New York Times, NPR, and the BBC,” said Moshe Phillips, chairman of Americans For a Safe Israel. “Even before October 7, polls consistently showed that most Israelis feared a Palestinian state would be used as a springboard to attack Israel, especially at its most vulnerable nine-mile-wide points along the coast.”
Phillips added that the prolonged captivity of Gvili’s remains highlights what he described as the human cost of security failures. “After October 7, the idea of a Palestinian state seems to most Israelis to constitute a direct threat to Israel’s existence,” he said. “The best way to make sure Israeli families do not suffer for 843 days the way the Gvili family has is to prevent a Palestinian state.”
The debate over Palestinian statehood has intensified internationally since the war in Gaza began, with renewed diplomatic efforts focused on a two-state framework. Israeli officials have repeatedly stated that any future arrangement must guarantee Israel’s security and prevent the emergence of hostile armed entities in Gaza, Judea and Samaria, or elsewhere.
Supporters of Palestinian statehood argue that sovereignty is essential for long-term stability, while critics contend that previous withdrawals and concessions resulted in increased violence rather than peace. The October 7 attacks, carried out by Hamas, which is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, and others, have become a central reference point in that debate.
Americans For a Safe Israel was established in 1970 and describes itself as a nonpartisan organization dedicated to education and advocacy on behalf of Israel’s security. The group says it is not affiliated with any political party in either the United States or Israel.
As Israel prepares to lay Ran Gvili to rest, the return of his remains serves as both a moment of national mourning and a catalyst for renewed political and security discussions. For many in Israel and the Jewish diaspora, the recovery has reinforced the conviction that future policy decisions must be shaped by the lessons of October 7 and the enduring vulnerability of Israeli civilians and soldiers alike.
