Israel on Wednesday confirmed that remains transferred by Hamas were those of Staff Sgt. Itay Chen, 19, and said the body was transferred to Israeli forces via the Red Cross under the ongoing cease-fire.
In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces said they had advised Chen’s family that he “has been returned for burial.”
The IDF said Chen served as a combat soldier in the 7th Armored Brigade’s 77th Battalion, fell in his tank during fighting at Kibbutz Nir Oz on the morning of Oct. 7, 2023, was abducted by Hamas, and was officially declared dead on March 10, 2024. He is survived by his parents and two brothers.
The IDF sent its condolences, saying it was ready to keep its part of the deal, and told Hamas to keep its promise to return all of the hostages for a proper funeral.
Hamas earlier said it located the remains in Gaza City’s Shuja’iyya after Israel allowed access for its teams and the Red Cross, before handing the body over as part of the truce framework.
Before this handover, Hamas had returned the remains of 20 hostages under the current cease-fire. According to Xinhua, Gaza health officials said that at least 240 Palestinians have been killed and 607 have been hurt by Israeli fire since the ceasefire began on October 11. Almost 70,000 people have died in Gaza since October 2023.
A global media for the latest news, entertainment, music fashion, and more.
