Israeli-American Dual Citizen Itay Chen
21 of 28 Deceased Hostages' Bodies Returned
The Israeli Prime Minister's Office announced on November 4 (local time) that it had received the body of Staff Sergeant Itay Chen, an Israeli soldier, from Hamas.
An Israeli soldier is gesturing atop an armored vehicle, moving toward the gate near the border fence to enter the eastern Gaza Strip area. Photo by UPI Yonhap News
According to Reuters, the Israeli Prime Minister's Office stated on November 4 that, after a genetic identification process, the body was confirmed to be that of Staff Sergeant Chen, who held dual Israeli and U.S. citizenship. Staff Sergeant Chen was serving in the 7th Brigade of the Israeli military at the time and was killed in action, after which his body was transferred to the Gaza Strip.
Under the terms of a ceasefire agreement that took effect on October 10, Hamas released 20 surviving hostages in exchange for Israel releasing around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners it had been holding. Hamas also agreed to hand over the bodies of deceased hostages but claimed that, due to the devastation caused by the war in the Gaza Strip, it was difficult to locate some of the bodies.
Israel stated that, of the 28 hostages who died during the war, Hamas has so far returned the bodies of 21. In exchange, Gaza health authorities reported that Israel has returned the bodies of 270 Palestinians.
According to Israeli figures, on October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a surprise attack on southern Israeli villages and military bases, resulting in 1,200 deaths and 251 people being taken hostage. Since then, retaliatory attacks by the Israeli military have killed more than 68,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health.
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