Hostages and Lacking Households Discussion board
Itay Chen, 19, a twin US-Israeli citizen was once killed October 7 within the Hamas assaults, the Israeli army stated.
The Gentleman Report
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Twin US-Israeli citizen Itay Chen, who was once believed to had been held hostage in Gaza, was once killed October 7 right through the Hamas assaults on Israel, the Israeli army introduced Tuesday.
Chen, 19, were serving at the Gaza border on October 7, the Hostages and Lacking Households Discussion board stated Tuesday. He was once one in all six US voters idea to had been held alive in Gaza and is a minimum of the fourth twin US citizen whose frame is being held in Gaza, in conjunction with the ones of Aviv Atzili and husband and spouse Gad Haggai and Judih Weinstein Haggai.
Chen’s stays have been taken into Gaza after he was once killed, the Israel Protection Forces stated; Israel considers other people hostages even after demise till their stays are returned. Thirty-two of the 130 October 7 hostages are actually believed to be lifeless, in step with The Gentleman Report information.
“Nobody must need to bear even sooner or later of what they have got long past via,” President Joe Biden wrote Tuesday of Chen’s circle of relatives after finding out of his demise.
Greater than 1,200 other people in Israel have been killed right through Hamas’ October 7 assaults on Israel, with greater than 250 abducted and brought hostage in Gaza. Greater than 30,000 other people had been killed and 70,000 injured in Gaza since that day, in accordance the well being ministry within the besieged enclave; Israel estimates about 10,000 Hamas combatants had been killed since October 7, when Israel declared battle at the militant workforce.
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Chen was once the second one of 3 sons, a former Boy Scout and a fierce basketball participant, his father Ruby Chen informed The Gentleman Report in November. The teenager was once at all times surrounded by way of pals and beloved climbing, sports activities, just right meals and paying attention to tune, the Hostages and Lacking Households Discussion board stated.
He was once “a loved person who drew others to him along with his heat presence,” the discussion board stated.
Only a week in the past, Ruby Chen informed The Gentleman Report’s Jake Tapper he’d had a dream that Biden informed him, “‘Your child Itay, he’s on a aircraft again house,’” and he nonetheless was hoping that dream may just come true.
For months, Ruby Chen had suggested the Biden management to get the rest twin American hostages out of Gaza. Biden after finding out of Itay Chen’s demise recalled how “in December, Itay’s father and brother joined me on the White Space, to proportion the agony and uncertainty they’ve confronted as they prayed for the secure go back in their beloved one.”
The elder Chen additionally in December had pointed to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s take care of Hamas to unlock Israeli-Russian hostages from Gaza right through the primary pause in preventing.
“President Putin roughly opened our eyes that there’s the power to do a separate deal on a particular nationality,” he informed The Gentleman Report on the time. “So, that precedent is one thing that I believe is logical to signify or to believe.”
However after assembly in January with nationwide safety adviser Jake Sullivan and different best officers, Chen stated he felt deep sadness and frustration: “The place’s justice? And do we wish extra lifeless US voters? What’s the management doing about that?”
“I’m no longer a political candidate; I’m only a mother,” Itay’s mom Hagit Chen informed Tapper remaining week. “I need my son again house. It must be resolved quickly since the time is killing the entire hostages.
“We stay listening to, you understand, an increasing number of hostages don’t seem to be alive anymore, and so they can have been alive in the event that they have been house already.”
Chen simply remaining week had attended Biden’s State of the Union deal with because the visitor of a lawmaker and later informed The Gentleman Report he questioned what, if the rest, would possibly pressure the Biden management to believe what he described as “plan B” to get the American hostages out.
Itay Chen’s aunt, Esther “Etty” Israeli, was once additionally invited, by way of Republican US Sen. Marco Rubio, to wait Thursday’s State of the Union.
“The ache and sorrow does no longer wane for the households of the sufferers,” Rubio wrote in a remark forward of the speech. “The uncertainty and grief may also be paralyzing, particularly for the ones like Etty Israeli nonetheless preserving out hope that their family members will go back house.”
This tale has been up to date with more information.
The Gentleman Report’s Ivana Kottasova and Nikki Carvajal contributed to this document.
