Tel Aviv's Hostages Square Clock Stopped After 843 Days as Final Hostage's Remains Returned
The countdown clock in Tel Aviv's Hostages Square was halted after 843 days following the return of the last Israeli hostage's remains, marking the end of a prolonged national ordeal.
The countdown clock in Tel Aviv's Hostages Square, which had been tracking the duration since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack, was stopped on Tuesday evening after 843 days. This event followed the recovery and return of the remains of Master Sergeant Ran Gvili, the last Israeli hostage held in Gaza.
Gvili, a 24-year-old police officer, was killed during the initial Hamas-led assault while defending Kibbutz Alumim. His body was located in a cemetery in northern Gaza and returned to Israel, providing closure to his family and the nation.
The clock-stopping ceremony in Hostages Square was attended by hundreds, including Gvili's sister, Shira Gvili, and former hostage Segev Kalfon. Malki Shem Tov, co-founder of the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, expressed relief:
"For 844 days, the clock kept running, counting every day, every minute, every second since our world stopped on October 7. We never imagined that the clock would reach three digits, and we feared it would reach four. Thank God we can finally stop counting."
The return of Gvili's remains marks the conclusion of efforts to recover all hostages taken during the 2023 attack, allowing Israel to move forward from this chapter of its history.
Source
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