Israel has confirmed that the remains handed over from Gaza this week belong to Israeli-American soldier Itay Chen, closing a long period of uncertainty for his family after he vanished during the Hamas assault on October 7 last year.
Chen, aged 19, had been on duty near the Gaza border when militants launched their attack across several Israeli towns and military sites.
He contacted his family as fighters stormed the base, telling them they were under fire, before communication was cut. While he was first believed to be among those taken hostage, the army later said he died that day and his body was taken into Gaza.
His remains were brought back to Israel on Tuesday through the Red Cross, as part of a temporary truce agreement brokered last month. The transfer followed a search in the Shejaiya area of Gaza City, where Hamas said the body had been recovered. Israeli forces still operate in parts of that zone and had permitted access for the search.
After forensic checks, authorities reached a match.
"Following the completion of the identification process... IDF representatives informed the family of the fallen hostage, Staff Sergeant Itay Chen, that their loved one has been returned to Israel and positively identified," the prime minister's office announced.
Hamas’s armed wing had earlier stated it located Chen’s body in eastern Shejaiya. The return came under a deal requiring Hamas to hand over both living captives and those who had died. Under the terms, the group committed to release 20 survivors along with 28 bodies within three days of the truce taking effect on October 10.
All surviving Israeli hostages were freed on October 13 in exchange for 250 prisoners and 1,718 detainees held in Gaza. Israel has also transferred 270 Palestinian bodies in exchange for the remains of 19 Israelis, as well as two foreign nationals — one from Thailand and one from Nepal.
Israeli officials have accused Hamas of slowing the process of finding bodies. Hamas has countered that destruction from months of fighting has made it hard to recover remains trapped under collapsed buildings.
Of the seven bodies still believed to be in Gaza, five are Israeli, one is Tanzanian and one is Thai. All except one were among the 251 people taken during the October 7 attack, which also killed around 1,200 people in Israel.
The war that followed has led to immense loss of life in Gaza, where authorities say more than 68,800 people have been killed.
In a separate incident on Tuesday, a hospital official in Gaza City reported that a man was shot dead in Jabalia in the north. The Israeli army said troops opened fire after a “terrorist” crossed the boundary known as the Yellow Line into an area under Israeli control and posed a threat.
