In a somber update, the Israeli Prime Minister's Office announced on Wednesday that the remains handed over by Hamas have been identified as those of 19-year-old U.S.-Israeli soldier Itay Chen. Chen served as a combat soldier in the 77th Battalion of the 7th Brigade near the Gaza border and was killed during the group's October 2023 assault.
🕊️ The handover occurred through the Red Cross in Gaza, part of a broader exchange under the ongoing ceasefire that began on October 10. Earlier this week, Hamas said it discovered the body of a soldier in Shuja'iyya, an eastern neighborhood of Gaza City, after Israel granted access for joint search teams.
This marks the latest in a series of returns: Hamas has handed over the remains of 20 hostages so far. Despite the ceasefire sharply reducing attacks, conflict has continued—according to Gaza health authorities, at least 240 Palestinians have been killed and 607 wounded by Israeli fire since October 11, with the overall death toll from Israeli strikes since October 2023 nearing 70,000.
💔 As families on both sides await news of missing loved ones, this exchange underlines the human cost of the conflict and the fragile hope that peace talks may still take root.
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Israel says remains received from Hamas are of U.S.-Israeli soldier
cgtn.com
