The remains of 19-year-old Staff Sergeant Itai Chen, the last American citizen abducted by Hamas, were returned from Gaza for burial on Monday.
According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the identification process was completed by the National Forensic Laboratory, and family members were informed that Mr. Chen had been brought back for burial.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed, “The remains of Itai Chen, a 19-year-old American held hostage by Hamas, have finally come home. We honor his life, grieve his loss, and stand with his family.” he stated on Tuesday.
The IDF announced that Chen’s funeral will take place with full military honors later this week.
Chen held dual citizenship in the United States and Israel. Born in New York, he grew up in Netanya, Israel. His family described him as fun-loving and energetic, passionate about singing, dancing, sports, and video games. He was also involved as an instructor for youth programs and was the middle child in a family of three.
Chen had joined the IDF, serving in an armored unit as a member of a tank crew with the 7th Brigade, stationed near Kibbutz Nahal Oz. He happened to be replaced by another soldier that morning to attend his brother’s bar mitzvah the following week when Hamas attacked on October 7, 2023.
Kibbutz Nahal Oz was heavily targeted during the brutal Hamas assaults. Palestinian militants recorded the chaos on stolen mobile phones and shared videos online. On that day, 15 residents were killed and eight were taken captive. Those who survived reported feeling traumatized and unable to return home.
Staff Sergeant Itai was killed when enemy fire struck his tank while he defended the kibbutz. Hamas later transported the bodies back to Gaza but did not initially clarify their status.
“Itai and his unit fought against Hamas for hours, defending Israeli civilians from horrific acts. Eventually, when no reinforcements came, their tanks were disabled, and three of the four crew members were taken hostage,” recounted his father, Ruby Chen. He remembered.
Ruby and his wife, Haggitt, became active advocates for the release of hostages, frequently communicating with both the Biden and Trump administrations.
“Hamas has subjected us to extreme psychological trauma by withholding information about A) their ownership of these hostages and B) the condition of our son. So, we are left in the dark,” said Ruby Chen. he noted in October.
The Israeli government has accused Hamas of being slow in returning hostages and their remains, while Hamas claims that it was challenging to locate body parts among the rubble of destroyed buildings in Gaza. A representative from Hamas stated that they discovered Chen’s body on Tuesday while digging at a deserted building in Gaza City.
Initially, the IDF believed Itai Chen might still be alive but officially concluded in March 2024 that he had been killed. Chen fought alongside two crew members, including tank commander Captain Daniel Perez and Sergeant Timer Leibovitz.
The fourth crew member, Sergeant Private First Class Matan Angrest, was taken captive by Hamas and returned to Israel last month as part of a ceasefire deal. Upon his return, he carried a poster memorializing his three fallen comrades as the “Lion King.”
“I’ve been thinking about you. You’re finally home, bro.” he expressed on social media after Chen’s body was returned.
The Hostage/Missing Families Forum described Itai Chen as an “extraordinary young man” and “a bright light of our youth” on Tuesday.
“The Hostage and Missing Families Forum mourns with the Cheng family. Words can’t capture the depth of this tragedy. Time is running out for the hostages; we must bring them all home now!” the organization stated.
Reports indicate that Hamas still holds the remains of seven hostages, five of whom are Israeli.
