The remains of Staff Sgt. Itay Chen, the last American hostage held in Gaza, were returned to Israel on Tuesday night, November 4, 2025—an event that marked a bittersweet turning point for his family and a nation grappling with the aftermath of war. Chen, a 19-year-old dual Israeli-American citizen from Netanya, was killed during the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, a day that left scars across both Israeli and Palestinian communities and reverberated around the world.
According to The Media Line, Chen was serving in a tank unit at the Nahal Oz base when Hamas terrorists stormed the area. He was killed in the assault, and his body was taken into Gaza along with his fellow soldiers Capt. Daniel Perez, Sgt. Tomer Leibovitz, and Matan Angrest. The latter was captured alive and released last month, while the remains of Perez and Leibovitz were returned earlier. Chen’s return closes a harrowing chapter for his family, who endured more than two years of uncertainty and hope.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that Chen’s remains were handed to the Red Cross before being transferred to Israeli troops. A military rabbi led a brief ceremony as the flag-draped casket arrived, followed by an escort to the Abu Kabir forensic institute for identification. "After 760 days, Itay is back home," his father, Ruby Chen, wrote on X, expressing the mixture of relief and sorrow that has defined the family’s ordeal.
Born in the United States and raised in Netanya, Chen was remembered by friends and family as joyful, compassionate, and full of energy. He was a beloved and respected 'SHELACH' instructor, guiding children and teenagers to connect more deeply with the land of Israel and encouraging personal growth, as reported by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum. He completed full training, including a survival course, and was known as a passionate athlete who played basketball for the 'Elitzur Netanya' team. "Funny, always smiling, and full of life," the Forum described him, emphasizing his role as "the very best of our youth. The salt of the earth."
Chen had switched shifts with another soldier that fateful weekend so he could attend his younger brother Alon’s bar mitzvah the following week—a plan tragically cut short by the October 7 onslaught. His father recalled that Itay’s final message came as his base came under heavy bombardment, a memory that haunted the family as they waited for news.
The Chen family became a leading voice for hostage families, with Ruby Chen addressing the United Nations and global media to press for his son’s return. Despite being informed months earlier that Itay had been killed, his parents continued to speak of him in the present tense, refusing to sit shiva until his body came home. Their determination inspired many in Israel and abroad.
The Hostages Families Forum said Itay’s return "provides some measure of comfort" while reaffirming their vow to keep fighting until every captive and body is recovered. "Please don't stop until they are all back home. Until the last hostage," the Forum urged, highlighting the ongoing anguish of families still awaiting closure.
The return of Chen’s remains was part of a broader ceasefire deal brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump last month, which required Hamas to return all hostages and remains still held in Gaza—seven of which are believed to remain, according to BBC. Under the terms of the deal, Hamas agreed to return 20 living and 28 dead hostages within 72 hours. All living Israeli hostages were released on October 13, 2025, in exchange for 250 Palestinian prisoners and 1,718 detainees from Gaza, as outlined by the BBC and corroborated by i24NEWS.
The process, however, has been fraught with delays and accusations. Israel has accused Hamas of deliberately dragging its feet on the recovery of dead hostages since the ceasefire took effect on October 10, 2025. Hamas, for its part, insists it is difficult to locate the bodies, many of which are buried under rubble from Israel’s two-year offensive in Gaza. The slow progress has meant limited movement on the second phase of President Trump’s Gaza peace plan, which includes plans for governance, the withdrawal of Israeli troops, the disarmament of Hamas, and reconstruction of the territory.
For every Israeli hostage returned, Israel has released the remains of 15 Palestinians. So far, 270 Palestinian bodies have been handed over under the current ceasefire, although fewer than half have been identified due to the lack of DNA testing kits in Gaza, as reported by Reuters. The Hamas-run Health Ministry posts photos of the remains online, hoping families will recognize them. The forensic work is complicated and emotionally taxing for all involved.
The October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas was one of the deadliest in the region’s history, killing about 1,200 people and resulting in the abduction of 251 hostages. Israel responded with a sweeping military campaign in Gaza, which, according to the Hamas-run Ministry of Health, has killed more than 68,800 Palestinians. These figures, while generally viewed as reliable by independent experts, are disputed by Israel, which has not provided its own contradicting toll.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio honored Chen’s life and mourned his loss on X, stating, "The remains of Itay Chen, a young American taken hostage by Hamas at just 19 years old, have finally returned home. We honour his life, mourn his loss, and stand with his family." The international community has watched the hostage returns closely, with the United States reportedly drafting a UN Security Council resolution to establish a two-year mandate for a transitional governance body in Gaza and an International Stabilisation Force to secure borders and demilitarize the strip.
Meanwhile, the violence has not entirely ceased. On the same day Chen’s remains were returned, a man was killed by Israeli fire in Jabalia, northern Gaza. The Israeli military said its troops killed a "terrorist" who had crossed the "Yellow Line," which demarcates Israeli-controlled territory, and posed a threat to them. Such incidents underscore how fragile the ceasefire remains, and how quickly the situation can shift.
For the Chen family, the return of their son’s body brings a measure of closure, but the pain of loss is ever-present. Ruby Chen told Scripps News that waiting for news of his son, as more hostages were returned, was "a difficulty like nothing else. It's a feeling that's difficult to articulate. It's a phone call that is the worst phone call you'll ever get in your lifetime. And when you do not get that phone call, you feel disappointed. That is a very difficult set of emotions to have in one day."
As the families of the remaining hostages continue to wait, the story of Itay Chen stands as a testament to resilience, hope, and the enduring human cost of conflict. The struggle for closure and peace goes on, even as one family finally brings their son home.
