After 759 Days in Hamas Captivity the Body of Sergeant Itai Chen has been Returned

The Prime Minister’s Office confirmed overnight (between Tuesday and Wednesday) that the body of kidnapped IDF soldier Sergeant Itai Chen has been returned to Israel—759 days after he was abducted by Hamas during the October 7, 2023 attack.

According to the statement, Hamas transferred Chen’s coffin late Tuesday to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in the northern Gaza Strip. The ICRC then handed the remains to IDF and Shin Bet personnel operating inside Gaza, who brought them across the border into Israel. The coffin was received in a formal military ceremony attended by a military rabbi before being transferred to the National Center for Forensic Medicine under the Ministry of Health in Tel Aviv.

Later that night, following completion of forensic and religious identification procedures in cooperation with the Israel Police and Military Rabbinate, the IDF notified the family that their beloved son, Sergeant Itai Chen, had been returned home.

Battle and Abduction in Nahal Oz

Sergeant Chen, aged 19 from Netanya, served in the 77th Battalion of the Armored Corps. He fell during the heavy fighting in Nahal Oz on the morning of October 7, 2023, when Hamas forces stormed IDF positions along the Gaza border.

For months, Chen and his tank crew were listed as missing in action until intelligence confirmed that he had been kidnapped into Gaza. His tank crew included Matan Engrest—who was later rescued alive—and Sergeant Daniel Peretz, who was kidnapped and returned deceased. The fourth crew member, Tomer Leibowitz, was killed in battle.

Chen, the middle son of Ruby and Hagit Chen, held American citizenship through his father and German citizenship through his mother. He is survived by two brothers, Roi and Alon.

IDF Confirmation

An IDF spokesperson stated:

“According to the intelligence and information available to us, Itai fell while fighting in his tank in the battle of Nahal Oz on the morning of October 7, 2023, and was kidnapped by Hamas. Itai, 19 years old when he fell, was declared dead on March 10, 2024.”

Hamas Statement and Ongoing Search Operations

Earlier Tuesday, Hamas announced it had located the body of a kidnapped Israeli during searches conducted near the Yellow Line in the Shejaiya neighborhood of Gaza City. The group said that “arrangements are being made for his handover to Israel.”

Under Red Cross supervision, Hamas has been permitted limited search operations near the border to locate the remains of Israeli soldiers and hostages. On Sunday, Israel received the remains of Lt. Col. Assaf Hammi, Capt. Omar Nowtra, and Sgt. Oz Daniel.

Hamas has claimed difficulty locating all remaining hostages’ bodies due to destruction in Gaza, but said that “the introduction of engineering equipment and Red Cross teams has accelerated the recovery and transfer of martyrs.”

Families Demand Meeting with Prime Minister

The families of several remaining hostages met Tuesday with Gal Hirsch, Israel’s Coordinator for Prisoners of War and Missing Persons. Following the meeting, Ayelet Goldin, sister of fallen soldier Hadar Goldin, said:

“We sat with Gal Hirsch and explained that we demand the Prime Minister look us in the eye and meet with us, the families. We have been begging for a meeting for three weeks. We want to know that the Israeli government sees it as a duty to return all the kidnapped—every last one of them.”

A Nation Mourns

Sergeant Itai Chen’s return closes one of the longest and most painful chapters since the October 7 attacks—759 days after he was taken from the battlefield in Nahal Oz. His family and community in Netanya are preparing for his military burial in the coming days.