IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir stopped at the weekly Friday rally held by the family of deceased hostage Ran Gvili, the last Israeli held by Hamas in Gaza, and told his parents that there was “room for optimism” for their son’s return, according to Channel 12.

Zamir stopped his vehicle at the military headquarters’ entrance across the street from Hostages’ Square in Tel Aviv, and made his way to Gvili’s parents who were leading the rally demanding no progress on the Gaza ceasefire until his body is returned.

“The chief of staff emphasized that the mission to return him is at the forefront of the minds and hearts of all IDF soldiers, from the chief of staff to the very last soldier,” and that the IDF is “constantly working across all efforts to bring him home as soon as possible,” the military said in a statement.

In footage released by the military, Gvili’s mother Talik could be heard telling the general: “We trust you, really. We trust you a lot.”

Gvili, a 24-year-old policeman, was killed defending Kibbutz Alumim in southern Israel during the Hamas-led onslaught of October 7, 2023, which sparked the war in Gaza. He rushed to the fight even as he was awaiting surgery for a shoulder injury.

When he became the last remaining hostage in December, his family announced they would discontinue Saturday night rallies for the hostages and instead attend the........

© The Times of Israel