By: Fern Sidman – Jewish Voice News

After 757 days of anguish, advocacy, and unanswered questions, Israel has finally brought home the body of Staff Sgt. Itay Chen, the 19-year-old Israeli-American soldier slain by Hamas terrorists during the October 7, 2023 massacre at Kibbutz Nir Oz. The Jewish News Syndicate (JNS) reported on Tuesday that Chen’s remains were identified in Israel this week after being recovered from Gaza, closing one of the most painful chapters of the war that redefined Israeli and Jewish identity across the globe.

For more than two years, Hamas had cruelly withheld Chen’s body, defying international law and violating the terms of the hostage agreements brokered by Washington and other mediators. His return marks a moment of profound sorrow and somber relief — the restoration of dignity to a fallen soldier who fought bravely in defense of his nation.

As the JNS report detailed, Chen served as a staff sergeant in the Israel Defense Forces and was stationed near Kibbutz Nir Oz, one of the communities devastated during Hamas’s barbaric assault on October 7 — the deadliest day in Israel’s history. The terrorists murdered more than 1,200 Israelis that day, many in their homes or at the Nova music festival, and dragged more than 250 hostages into Gaza.

According to the information provided in the JNS report, Israeli forensic authorities confirmed Chen’s identity after receiving his remains from the International Committee of the Red Cross, which acted as an intermediary in the handover. The transfer, carried out under heavy security, took place just two days after the remains of three other fallen soldiers — Omer Neutra, Asaf Hamami, and Oz Daniel — were returned.

The IDF’s official statement, cited in the JNS report, read: “Following the completion of the identification process by the National Center of Forensic Medicine, in coordination with the Israel Police and the Military Rabbinate, IDF representatives informed the family of the abducted fallen soldier, Sergeant Itay Chen, that their loved one has been returned to Israel and positively identified.”

For Chen’s parents, Ruby and Hagit, and his two brothers, the long nightmare of uncertainty has finally ended.

Chen’s dual citizenship made his case not only an Israeli tragedy but also an American one. As the JNS report emphasized, Chen was the last deceased American hostage held by Hamas, a grim milestone underscoring the terrorist group’s total disregard for international norms.

In Washington, an outpouring of bipartisan statements followed the news of his recovery.

Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) expressed relief while honoring Chen’s sacrifice, telling JNS, “Finally, Itay’s body can be laid to rest and his family can have a sliver of peace after this nightmare.” Ernst also thanked President Donald Trump for his “unwavering commitment to securing the release of all the American hostages,” crediting the administration for pressing international actors to hold Hamas accountable.

Senator Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), one of the Senate’s leading Jewish voices, echoed those sentiments.

“I met many times with Itay’s family, who tirelessly advocated for his return, and the return of all hostages still in Gaza,” Rosen said, according to the JNS report. “This family has endured profound grief over the past two years, and my thoughts are with them as their son finally comes home for a proper burial.”

Representative Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.), who has maintained close ties to New York’s Jewish community, told JNS he was “grateful that the Chen family will finally have closure after enduring pain and heartache for over two years.”

Democrat Brad Schneider (D-Ill.), another Jewish member of Congress, described the moment as one of collective mourning: “Now the American people can begin to properly mourn their friends, family, and neighbors murdered by Hamas,” Schneider said.

Beyond its immediate emotional impact, Chen’s repatriation has renewed calls in Washington and Jerusalem for a sustained campaign to hold Hamas accountable for its atrocities.

As JNS reported, Brett McGurk, who served as Deputy Assistant to the President and White House Coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa under the Biden administration, reflected poignantly on social media: “Thinking tonight of Ruby and Hagit Chen, as well as Ronen and Orna Neutra — incredible parents to Itay Chen and Omer Neutra. Hamas clearly knew the location of Itay and Omer, while always denying it. Tribute to all who worked to bring them home.”

McGurk’s statement drew attention to a chilling truth that JNS has repeatedly highlighted — that Hamas deliberately exploited hostages and fallen soldiers alike as psychological weapons, prolonging families’ suffering for political leverage.

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) also issued a statement mourning Chen’s death and celebrating his return: “Itay’s body is finally back in Israel,” AIPAC said, as quoted by JNS. “Our hearts are with Itay’s family, including Ruby and Hagit Chen, who have fought tirelessly for their son and all the hostages.”

Similarly, the American Jewish Committee (AJC) said in a message shared with JNS, “We hope his return brings some measure of closure to his family. May his memory be a blessing.”

For many Israelis, the recovery of Chen’s body is both a symbol of resilience and a grim reminder of unfinished business. The JNS report observed that Hamas continues to hold the bodies of seven other murdered Israelis, in direct violation of humanitarian agreements and repeated international appeals.

In the halls of Israel’s Knesset, officials vowed that the State of Israel will not rest until every hostage — living or deceased — is brought home. Military and intelligence operations continue to search for missing remains in Gaza, even as ceasefire negotiations drag on under the auspices of American, Egyptian, and Qatari mediators.

At Kibbutz Nir Oz, where Chen fell in battle, survivors have begun preparing to memorialize him alongside the hundreds of others murdered there on October 7. As JNS reported, “the kibbutz has become sacred ground — a place where tragedy and heroism coexist in the ashes of what was once a peaceful community.”

The IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi said in a statement cited in the JNS report, “We owe Itay and all the fallen a debt that can never be repaid. Their courage protects us still.”

In Jewish communities across the diaspora, the return of Itay Chen’s body resonated deeply. Synagogues in New York, Miami, and Los Angeles held memorial prayers within hours of the announcement. The JNS report noted that many of these vigils were attended by relatives of other hostages, who continue to live in excruciating uncertainty.

Rabbi Abraham Cooper of the Simon Wiesenthal Center told JNS, “Every Israeli family has a piece of October 7 written into their souls. For the Jewish people worldwide, bringing Itay home is not the end — it’s a reminder that the mission of remembrance and justice endures.”

Even amid grief, Chen’s story has become a rallying cry for moral clarity. As JNS has long argued, Hamas’s use of hostages — both living and dead — represents the most heinous violation of international law and human dignity. The terrorist organization’s refusal to release bodies, its denial of basic humanitarian access, and its continued glorification of violence have exposed the true nature of its regime.

Chen’s return, painful though it is, spotlights Israel’s unwavering principle: no soldier, no citizen, will ever be forgotten or abandoned.

For the Chen family, that promise has been fulfilled.

“Finally,” said Senator Ernst in remarks quoted by JNS, “Itay’s body can be laid to rest, and his family can have a sliver of peace after this nightmare.”

For the rest of Israel — and the Jewish world — the nightmare continues, as more hostages remain unaccounted for, and families cling to the hope that their loved ones, too, will come home.

As the JNS report observed, “The return of Staff Sgt. Itay Chen closes one wound but reopens many others. His name will endure as a symbol of courage, sacrifice, and the eternal promise that Israel will bring all its sons and daughters back home.”