Nov. 5 (UPI) — The Israel Defense Forces has informed the family of Staff Sgt. Itay Chen, an Israeli-American citizen who was taken hostage by Hamas in Gaza, that his body has been returned to Israel.
Both the Israeli prime minister’s office and the IDF confirmed the development in separate statements Tuesday.
“The government of Israel shares in the deep sorrow of the Chen family and all the families of the fallen hostages,” the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.
The IDF said Chen, 19, was killed during Hamas’ surprise Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel.
According to the military, he died in a tank during battle in Kibbutz Nir Oz the morning of Oct. 7. His body was then abducted by Hamas and taken into the Palestinian enclave of Gaza.
The IDF confirmed his death on March 10, 2024.
Chen was born in the United States but raised in Israel’s resort city of Netanya, according to Israel.
“Heartbroken beyond words, yet deeply grateful that the remains of Itay Chen, the last American held hostage by Hamas since October 7, have finally been returned,” U.S. Ambassador to Israel Charles Kushner said in a statement.
Hamas announced in a statement earlier Tuesday that Chen’s body had been found during excavation and search operations east of the Shejaiya neighborhood of Gaza City.
The militant group said arrangements were underway to repatriate the body.
Netanyahu’s office later said it had received the coffin of a fallen soldier from Gaza via the Red Cross.
Hamas released 20 living hostages to Israel and Israel released nearly 2,000 detainees into Gaza and the occupied West Bank last month as they executed the first stage of a fragile cease-fire agreement. Since then, Hamas has released a handful of hostages’ remains to Israel.
The remains of seven hostages are believed to still remain in Gaza.
