A ceremony was held this evening at Hostages Square to mark the symbolic shutdown of the countdown clock
By Sammy,
A ceremony was held this evening at Hostages Square to mark the symbolic shutdown of the countdown clock that had tracked every second Israeli hostages were held in Gaza since October 7, 2023. The event followed the return to Israel of the body of Ran Gvili, the final hostage held in the Strip. At 5:35 p.m., the clock was stopped at 843 days, 12 hours, 5 minutes, and 59 seconds, reflecting the time since 251 people were abducted by Hamas. Organizers described the moment as a form of closure, while stressing that it marked "the end of one stage," not the end of the broader journey.
Speaking to the crowd, Ran's sister Shira Gvili described a deeply emotional and bittersweet sense of relief. "On October 7, our clock stopped," she said. "Now we can really stop the clock." She told those gathered that the past 844 days had been an unbearable stretch of suspended time, saying, "For the last 844 days, I felt every minute... the world kept moving, but I wanted it to stop with us." Gvili added that the return of her brother finally allowed her family to begin saying goodbye. "Tomorrow, we are laying Rani to his eternal rest," she said, before concluding, "Now, I can say that Rani is here with us - Rani is home," drawing sustained applause.
Former hostage Segev Kalfon also addressed the gathering, recalling that the first time he saw the countdown clock was while he was still being held captive. "It was a clock that measured the hostages' time not only in days, but also in minutes and seconds," he said. "That's exactly how we felt - every minute was an eternity, every second could have been our last." Kalfon added that images of supporters gathered in the square reached the hostages even in captivity, saying they "gave us hope" during the darkest moments.
Kalfon emphasized that while the clock's shutdown was a powerful symbol, it was not an endpoint. "The stopping of this clock is a significant moment, but it's not the end - it symbolizes the end of one stage," he said, noting that families of hostages who were killed must now begin their mourning. The ceremony was organized by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which Gvili thanked for having "embraced us in a warm hug" throughout the ordeal.
Topics: Gaza
Reported by Sammy for Bernie News Network. See our editorial standards and corrections policy.