CAIRO: Israel on Tuesday received the body of an Israeli soldier from Hamas through the International Committee of the Red Cross in Gaza, the Prime Minister’s Office announced. The remains were confirmed to be those of Staff Sergeant Itay Chen after an identification process.
According to Hamas, the body was discovered in Shejaia, an eastern suburb of Gaza City still under Israeli military control. The group said it was able to retrieve the remains after Israel allowed joint access to the area for its teams and Red Cross personnel.
Under the US-brokered ceasefire agreement that began on October 10, Hamas released all 20 living hostages held in Gaza in exchange for the release of nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and wartime detainees. The group also pledged to hand over the remains of hostages who died, though it claims the extensive destruction in Gaza has made recovering bodies difficult. Israel, meanwhile, accuses Hamas of delaying the process.
With Chen’s return, Hamas has now transferred 21 of the 28 bodies of hostages buried in Gaza. In exchange, Israel has released 270 bodies of Palestinians killed since the conflict began in October 2023, according to Gaza health authorities.
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