Officials: Dual US-Israeli citizen killed in attack
The Israeli military on Tuesday announced Itay Chen, a 19-year-old Israeli soldier and American citizen previously believed to be held hostage in Gaza, is dead.
Chen was killed on Oct. 7 and his body was taken to Gaza, where it is currently, the Israeli military said. Chen, a dual U.S.-Israeli citizen, served in the Israeli Army’s 75th Battalion. He is survived by his parents and two brothers.
In an opinion article published in USA TODAY, Ruby Chen described his son as “a fun-loving kid who loves playing basketball with his brothers.” He had met with U.S. officials including President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris and called on them and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to secure the release of hostages, including his son.
Biden in a statement Tuesday said he was “devastated” to learn of Itay Chen’s death and said he will continue working to bring the remaining hostages home.
“Today, as we join Itay’s parents, brothers, and family in grieving this tragic loss, we keep this reminder close to our hearts,” Biden said. “And I reaffirm my pledge to all the families of those still held hostage: we are with you. We will never stop working to bring your loved ones home.”
On Monday, Ruby Chen said in a statement: “Our hearts are broken. We loved him so much, and we would have done anything to bring him home alive,” Haaretz reported.
He urged Netanyahu and the Biden administration to do “everything in their power” to secure the return of their son’s body and the remaining hostages.
Hamas is still believed to be holding around 100 hostages, and the remains of 30 others, after freeing most of the rest last year in exchange for the release of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.
The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel in a surprise attack on Oct. 7, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking around 250 hostages.
Negotiations for a cease-fire and hostage deal remain stalled. Majed Al
Ansari, spokesman for Qatar’s Foreign Ministry, said Tuesday an agreement is not close. CIA Director William Burns said in a House hearing “there’s still the possibility” of a deal, but many obstacles remain.
Airstrike kills 11 from same family in Gaza
More than 31,180 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, have been killed since the war began, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry. The ministry does not differentiate between civilian and combatant deaths.
A strike on a home in Gaza’s central city of Deir al-Balah early Tuesday killed 11 people from the same family, including four women and five children, according to hospital records and an Associated Press reporter who saw the bodies arrive.
Nine people were killed and dozens injured when Israeli forces opened fire on crowds trying to get access to aid trucks in Gaza City’s Kuwait Square, Reuters reported, citing Palestinian health officials.
Meanwhile, the war threatens to spill over across the Middle East.
A pair of Israeli airstrikes hit targets in northern Lebanon on Tuesday, killing at least two people and injuring at least 20 others, said the Associated Press, citing a Lebanese security official.
Aid ship heads to Gaza
The first humanitarian aid ship using a new maritime corridor departed Cyprus on Tuesday and headed for Gaza, where more than 2 million people face an increasing threat of starvation and reports of malnutrition-related deaths are rising, health officials and aid organizations say.
The ship, packed with 200 tons of food from World Central Kitchen, a nonprofit founded by celebrity chef José Andrés, will be the first shipment of humanitarian aid to reach the war-torn territory by boat. While its load is not near the amount needed to head off a famine, officials said many more ships will take the same journey in the coming days and weeks.