The body of the last Israeli soldier who was abducted on October 7ths has returned home. Seven more bodies of Israeli hostages remain in Gaza, including those of a soldier who was killed in 2014.
By Rachel Avraham
The body of Staff Sgt. Itay Chen, an Israeli soldier held hostage in Gaza, was returned to Israel overnight Tuesday, the Prime Minister’s Office announced. According to the Times of Israel, Chen was the last remaining slain hostage held in the Gaza Strip with American citizenship. With his return, the bodies of seven dead captives remain in Gaza: Meny Godard, Hadar Goldin, Ran Gvili, Joshua Luito Mollel, Dror Or, Lior Rudaeff, and Sudthisak Rinthalak.
“Alongside the grief and the understanding that their hearts will never be whole, his return provides some measure of comfort to a family that has lived with agonizing uncertainty and doubt for over two years. We will not rest until the last hostage is brought home,” the Hostage and Missing Families forum said, adding that they are “embracing the Chen family.”
Notably, the return of Chen’s remains leaves Hadar Goldin as the last remaining murdered hostage who was taken during active IDF service, the Jerusalem Post reported. Goldin, however, was murdered and taken hostage in 2014, rather than during Hamas’s October 7 massacre, the Jerusalem Post added.
Staff Sgt. Itay Chen, 19, from Netanya, served as a combat soldier in the 77th Battalion of the IDF’s 7th Armored Brigade, Yedioth Achronot reported. According to IDF intelligence, he was killed in battle inside his tank at Kibbutz Nir Oz on the morning of October 7, 2023, and his body was abducted by Hamas. His death was officially determined on March 10, 2024, Yedioth Achronot added. According to the report, he is survived by his parents, Robby and Hagit, and two brothers.
“Itay has come home,” his family said after receiving the news. His parents, who fought a months-long campaign for the return of his body, had often spoken publicly about his bravery and their hope to bring him back for burial in Israel, Yedioth Achronot added.
Born to an American father and a German-Israeli mother, Itay Chen was the middle of three brothers, Yedioth Achronot noted. According to the report, friends and relatives described him as cheerful, dedicated, and deeply patriotic. “He loved his country and his people,” said his father, Robby. “Now he is finally home.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with the family of Staff Sgt. Itay Chen, the Jerusalem Post reported. According to the report, he offered condolences on behalf of himself, his wife, and the Israeli people. Chen’s parents thanked the IDF, security forces, and Netanyahu, and urged continued efforts to bring back all hostages and fallen soldiers, the Jerusalem Post added. According to the report, Netanyahu affirmed his commitment to doing so.
US Ambassador Mike Huckabee posted on Twitter/X that he spoke with Itay’s parents on Tuesday night to share his condolences and express his admiration for the efforts of Itay’s parents to bring him home for a proper burial: “I’ve had contact with his family almost every day. Beautiful people whose relentless drive to bring Itay home showed a family’s unfailing love.”
“For Itay, may his memory be a blessing…and it is,” Huckabee concluded.
Photo from CBS Miami: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QmkXP5Xv6k
