Hamas transferred the remains of the last Israeli-American who was held in Gaza.
The IDF confirmed the remains of Itay Chen were returned to Israel on Tuesday. Chen was serving in an IDF tank unit near the Gaza border when Hamas attacked on October 7, 2023. He was killed during the initial attack, and Hamas took his body into the Strip.
Omer Neutra’s body was handed over to Israel over the weekend. Like Chen, Neutra was an Israeli-American serving in the IDF. Hamas is giving the bodies to the Red Cross, then the international organization transports the remains to Israel.
Last month, Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire and hostage exchange. Hamas agreed to release all the living captives at the start of the truce, and the bodies of the deceased Israeli hostages as they are recovered. So far, Hamas has returned 21 of the 28 hostages’ remains.
The Palestinian group has said it will take time to recover the bodies of the hostages, who are buried under the rubble. Israel first allowed Egyptian teams with debris-clearing equipment into Gaza last week.
Under the deal, Israel agreed to release living Palestinian detainees and prisoners, as well as the bodies of Palestinians held by Tel Aviv. Israel additionally agreed to halt attacks on Gaza and allow 600 aid trucks into Gaza each day.
While Hamas has largely complied with the agreement, Israel has committed daily violations. Israeli forces have killed over 230 Palestinians and limited aid deliveries into Gaza to far below the agreed-upon levels.
