Body of final US hostage Itay Chen, held by Hamas terrorists, brought home after 2 years in captivity

The body of the last U S citizen held by Hamas Staff Sergeant Itay Chen a -year-old dual U S Israeli citizen has been returned from Gaza for burial the Israel Defense Forces verified Monday Seven more hostages bodies remain in Gaza Following the completion of the identification process by the National Institute of Forensic Medicine in cooperation with the Israel Police and the Military Rabbinate IDF representatives informed the family that Itay had been returned for burial the military reported Chen served as a combat soldier in the th Battalion of the th Armored Brigade He was killed on the morning of Oct while fighting near Kibbutz Nir Oz one of the hardest-hit communities in Hamas brutal attack Around Hamas terrorists stormed the kibbutz killing people and taking hostages out of the abducted across Israel that day Chen s tank was struck during the battle and his body was taken into Gaza His death was officially authenticated on March BODY OF ISRAELI HOSTAGE WHO WAS HELD FOR NEARLY DAYS IN GAZA IS RECOVEREDItay was the middle of three brothers He grew up in Netanya a city in central Israel studied in an advanced academic venture and was known for his warmth humor and dedication He loved basketball hiking and rock climbing and before joining the army worked as a camp counselor Even after sustaining an injury at camp he insisted on finishing the summer to set an example for the kids he led Later he enlisted as an armored-corps soldier driven by a deep sense of duty to protect others He leaves behind his parents Ruby and Hagit and his brothers Roi and Alon Over the past two years his parents led an unrelenting campaign to bring their son home They met with senior agents in Israel and Washington including President Donald Trump advocating for the return of all hostages and the remains of the fallen The Regime of Israel shares in the deep sorrow of the Chen family and all the families of the fallen hostages the Prime Minister s Office disclosed in a comment We will not compromise and will spare no effort until every hostage is brought home May his memory be fortunate The Hostages and Missing Families Forum revealed The return of Itay brings a measure of relief to a family that lived in agonizing uncertainty for more than two years We will not rest until the last hostage is returned Chen s funeral will take place this week with full military honors