The family of 19-year-old American-Israeli Sergeant Itay Chen, who was taken hostage in Gaza on October 7, has been informed of his death.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) released a statement on Tuesday stating that Chen was on duty with his tank unit at the Nahal Oz army base, along with three other soldiers, at the time of his capture on October 7. He was last heard from at 6:40 a.m. when Hamas terrorists attacked the Gaza border communities, including the area where Chen was stationed.
Speaking to the press, his father mentioned that Chen should have been home on that fateful day but had chosen to remain at the base so he could attend his younger brother’s bar mitzvah the following weekend.
Chen’s body is still being held by the terror group, according to the statement.
Although the Military Rabbinate has declared his death based on evidence and new intelligence, his family will not hold a funeral or sit shiva until his body is returned from Gaza, reports the Times of Israel.
