The Israeli military has concluded that Itay Chen, a 19-year-old U.S.-Israeli dual citizen, was likely killed in the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack in southern Israel.
He had been serving in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) at the time of the Hamas attacks and has remained missing in the months since.
Mr. Chen was one of six Americans thought to have been alive in Hamas captivity following the Oct. 7 attack. On March 12, the Israeli government concluded that he was instead likely killed during the initial attack, with his remains carried off to Gaza after that. The Israeli government further concluded that Mr. Chen’s body is still being held in Gaza.
More than 1,100 people were killed on Oct. 7, and thousands more were injured. Following the attack, Israeli and international officials subsequently concluded that about 250 people were taken back to the Gaza Strip as hostages.
President Joe Biden expressed his condolences for Mr. Chen’s family in a March 12 statement.
“Today, our hearts are heavy. Jill and I are devastated to learn that American Itay Chen was killed by Hamas during its brutal terrorist assault on October 7,” President Biden said.
The president had hosted Mr. Chen’s family members at the White House in December 2023 to “share the agony and uncertainty they’ve faced as they prayed for the safe return of their loved one.”
“No one should have to endure even one day of what they have gone through. At the end of our meeting, they gave me a menorah—a solemn reminder that light will always dispel the darkness, and evil will not win,” President Biden said. “Today, as we join Itay’s parents, brothers, and family in grieving this tragic loss, we keep this reminder close to our hearts. And I reaffirm my pledge to all the families of those still held hostage: we are with you. We will never stop working to bring your loved ones home.”
Remaining Hostages
Of the approximately 250 hostages taken on Oct. 7, 112 have been returned alive. Hamas released 105 of those hostages during a week-long ceasefire in November 2023 in which Israel, in turn, released 240 Palestinians held in Israeli custody; many of those were children and people not yet convicted of a crime.Hamas voluntarily released another four hostages, and Israeli forces have freed at least three hostages during military operations in the Gaza Strip.
Several other hostages have been reported killed in the course of the fighting, although their deaths and the responsible parties are hard to determine at this time.
Ongoing negotiations toward a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip have focused on the release of the remaining hostages.
In February, Hamas outlined a more long-term ceasefire proposal, wherein it would return hostages over a four-and-a-half month period, after which Israeli forces would leave the Gaza Strip and the war would end. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the Hamas proposal “delusional” and reiterated his pledge to continue the war until Hamas is eradicated outright.
Current talks have centered around Israeli calls for Hamas to release some additional hostages in exchange for a six-week break in the fighting. At a White House media briefing on March 12, national security adviser Jake Sullivan said the Biden administration is hopeful that this initial six-week ceasefire will pave the way for additional rounds of negotiations but said the Hamas side has been reluctant to accept such a framework.
“A ceasefire is on the table today for six weeks, to be built on into something more enduring if Hamas would simply release women, wounded, and elderly,” Mr. Sullivan said. “And the fact that they will not do so says a lot to me about Hamas’s regard for innocent Palestinian civilians. The fact that they are holding on to those folks and refusing to release them, and refusing to step up and say that we could get this ceasefire in place, which not only would bring calm to the fighting but also would create an enormous opportunity to flow humanitarian assistance in in much greater quantities.”
Mr. Sullivan said the Biden administration has encouraged Israeli officials to stay at the negotiating table despite the apparent impasse.
