On Wednesday, Israel took possession of a coffin believed to hold the remains of one of the last two hostages who died in Gaza.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on social media platform X that the coffin, accompanied by IDF personnel, crossed into Israeli territory and is being transported to the National Institute for Forensic Medicine for identification. The IDF’s post indicated that the identification process would soon commence.

The coffin, transferred from the Red Cross to Israeli authorities, is thought to contain the remains of either Ran Gvili or Sudthisak Rinthalak.

Amid the ongoing wait, demonstrators in Tel Aviv held images of Rinthalak and Gvili during a rally at Hostages Square on November 29, 2025, underscoring the emotional weight of the situation. (Nir Elias/Reuters)

Ran Gvili’s story took a tragic turn on October 7, 2023. While he was supposed to be recuperating and awaiting surgery for a shoulder injury, circumstances changed dramatically. Gvili, a dedicated officer in an anti-terrorism unit, responded to the crisis by joining fellow officers in the fight to protect others. Sadly, he was killed near Kibbutz Alumim, and his body was subsequently taken to Gaza, where it remained for nearly 790 days.

“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?” Gvili’s mother, Talik, wrote in a Fox News op-ed.

A drone view shows participants holding a large banner during a rally held by hostage families and supporters at “Hostages Square” to demand the immediate release of the bodies of the deceased hostages. (Ilan Rosenberg/Reuters)

Rinthalak, a 43-year-old Thai national, was working in agriculture in Israel to support his family in Thailand when he was killed during the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks and his body was taken into Gaza. His family told Israeli news outlet Ynet that he said he would be coming home for good once he saved a bit more money.

“About 10 days before October 7 was the last time we spoke,” Rinthalak’s mother, On, told Ynet. “We asked him to come home to Thailand for a visit. We hadn’t seen him in many years, ever since he went to Israel for work. He told us he wanted to save a bit more money and then come home for good. Then October 7 happened and he was murdered. I want my son home as soon as possible. I wait for him every day.”

People hold paper cutouts of dead hostages Ran Gvili and Sudthisak Rinthalak at a rally where Israelis called for their immediate return. (Nir Elias/Reuters)

On Tuesday, Israel received remains that were tested and confirmed to not belong to either Gvili or Rinthalak, The Times of Israel reported. The outlet noted that a senior Red Cross official said the findings it handed over to the IDF included “small remains, pieces” of a body.