Body of Israeli-American Hostage Itai Chen Returned
Hamas has turned over the remains of Itai Chen, an Israeli-American hostage, marking the conclusion of the group’s hold on Americans. This was confirmed by the Israel Defense Forces on Tuesday evening.
The body was given to the Red Cross following reports that another body was located in Gaza City’s Shejaya district, along with additional recoveries of hostages’ remains.
Chen, a 19-year-old soldier with ties to New York, was identified as one of the victims of the October 7 attack by terrorists, according to the Israel Defense Forces.
In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces expressed their heartfelt condolences to the families affected and reaffirmed their commitment to recovering all deceased hostages while remaining prepared to move forward with the ongoing agreement.
“Hamas is expected to fulfill its obligations under the agreement and should work towards the return of all hostages, ensuring they receive respectful burials,” the military noted.
With the return of Chen, seven hostages remain in Gaza. It’s worth mentioning that Hamas has previously given back remains of people unrelated to the October 7 kidnappings, which led to backlash and airstrikes across Gaza. The group has been known to express intentions of walking away from a U.S.-backed peace agreement.
Interestingly, during this exchange, Hamas did not disclose the identities of the bodies it released on Tuesday.
Before this latest return, six of the eight deceased hostages were Israelis, alongside one Tanzanian and one Thai citizen.
There is growing pressure from both Israel and the United States on Hamas to expedite the recovery of bodies from Gaza, with claims that the group is intentionally delaying the process as a bargaining strategy.
On the flip side, Hamas maintains that it requires more time and resources to search for hostages who perished amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza, where Egyptian excavators are currently active.
The recent release of hostages reignited tensions in Gaza, complicating an already delicate ceasefire after Israeli forces engaged “terrorists” who crossed into areas under Israeli military control.
