Body of American-Israeli Hostage Itay Chen Returned to Israel from Gaza

The body of Staff Sgt. Itay Chen, a 19-year-old dual U.S.-Israeli citizen, was returned to Israel from Gaza late today by IDF troops after being held by Hamas since the October 7th attacks.

Chen was on active duty with his tank unit at the Nahal Oz IDF base when he was killed and subsequently abducted to Gaza on October 7, 2023. He was the last remaining slain hostage with American citizenship held in the Gaza Strip. Following inspection by the IDF and a brief ceremony, Chen’s body was escorted by police to the Abu Kabir forensic institute in Tel Aviv for identification, a necessary step as Hamas has previously transferred remains that did not belong to hostages. He was killed alongside Sgt. Tomer Leibovitz and Cpt. Daniel Perez, whose body was returned last month.

The transfer of Chen’s remains follows the return of the bodies of three other deceased hostages – Col. Asaf Hamami, Cpt. Omer Neutra, and Staff Sgt. Oz Daniel – on Sunday. Under the terms of the current ceasefire, Hamas is obligated to return all hostages and provide information regarding the location of remains, a process that has been aided by international assistance. This return offers a measure of closure to the Chen family, who had vowed not to sit shiva until their son was brought home. For more information on the ongoing hostage negotiations, see the Council on Foreign Relations’ coverage.

The Hostages Families Forum stated they “will not rest until the last hostage is brought home,” with seven slain hostages still remaining in Gaza, including Lt. Hadar Goldin, whose body has been held since 2014. The IDF is reportedly considering options for securing the return of Goldin’s remains, including a potential exchange of prisoners. The Times of Israel is providing ongoing live updates on the situation.

Israeli officials have indicated they believe the return of all remaining bodies is possible with continued effort and cooperation.