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On Oct. 7th, 2023, more than 250 people were kidnapped into Gaza. Today, after more than two years of agony, we are down to the last two. One of them is my son, Ran.
Every morning I wake up counting. More than 790 days since they took him. Over 790 nights of longing that burns through my heart, of fighting not to collapse, of holding onto hope and immense pride in my hero son.
My Ran never hesitated when evil came knocking. That terrible morning, he had a broken shoulder after a motorbike accident the week prior. He was supposed to be resting, waiting for surgery. But when the alarms went off, he grabbed his police uniform and headed straight into danger. That’s who my son was. He served in the police counter-terror unit, and he couldn’t sit still knowing people needed help.
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He jumped into a vehicle with a friend, and together they raced toward the chaos. They pulled dozens of people out of the Nova music festival, saving them while trying to reach Ran’s fellow officers who were trapped and fighting for their lives in Kibbutz Alumim. He fought bravely alongside his team, and together they stopped a massacre. He was wounded in his leg, wounded in his arm, but he kept going and killed more than a dozen terrorists. He fought until he had nothing left, protecting families hiding in their homes. From that day, the people of the kibbutz began calling him the Shield of Alumim.
Two weeks later, we were told he had been kidnapped to Gaza. Then on January 24th 2024, we learned he was killed, and his body was taken there, where it remains to this day. We keep praying for a miracle, that there was a mistake, that Ran is somehow still alive. Intelligence isn’t perfect. Sometimes I dream of him, wounded but alive. He tells me, “I’ll come back and be a hero.” And I tell him that he’s already a hero. I know the odds aren’t in our favor, but if I don’t hold onto this hope, I would shatter completely.
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When this nightmare began, there were 255 hostages. Their families became one big family. We held each other through every unbearable moment. Every time someone returned, there was a feeling that part of us came back. And now we’re down to the last two in the darkness of Gaza. I’m terrified that after bringing so many home, my Ran will be left behind. There’s this crushing feeling I can’t shake: when is our turn?
It’s been nearly two months since the answer to our prayers. President Donald Trump and his administration, who have stood by us for so long, delivered nothing short of a miracle, reaching a deal that brought nearly all of them home. The living were reunited with their families after unimaginable suffering. The deceased were returned for the dignified burial they deserve, finally bringing closure to families who had waited in agony. We watched as family after family embraced their sons, as parents held their children again, as a nation began to heal.
Just days ago, we met with U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee. He was warm and compassionate in a way that touched our hearts deeply. We truly felt that he cared about Ran, about Sudthisak Rinthalak, the other hostage still held in Gaza, and about all our families. He promised us that the U.S. administration is with us until the end, that they won’t abandon us, not until the last hostage comes home. And we believe him wholeheartedly. Even now, when only two remain, we know they will keep fighting for us.
Yet Ran and Sudthisak are still there, still waiting in the darkness. Every time there are rumors about searches in Gaza, I experience cautious optimism mixed with tremendous fear. Anxiety, heart palpitations, and panic I never experienced before. Every phone call, every car that stops by the house sends my heart racing.
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Hamas says they’re searching for the last two hostages, but we see no progress. They’re playing games, stalling, and mocking us while two families suffer. This must stop now. Hamas knows exactly where they are. They must be pressured to fulfill their end of this deal. How can we proceed to the next stage of the deal while Ran and Sudthisak remain in captivity? How can our families, how can we as a nation recover while they remain there?
I’m calling on everyone who helped bring all 253 hostages home, on President Trump’s administration that has stood so firmly with us, on the mediators, on people of conscience everywhere: Don’t forget them. Don’t forget Ran and Sudthisak. Don’t give up now when we’re so close.
I promise you, my Ran, that your story will be heard around the world. Everyone will know what you did, how you fought, how you never gave up.
We will bring you home.
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