Israel identifies remains of hostage handed over by Hamas in Gaza
Remains of Israeli hostage handed over by Hamas are identified
- Israel has identified the body of Israeli-American Staff Sergeant Itay Chen, 19, who was taken hostage during the Hamas attack in October 2023.
- His body was handed over by Hamas to Israel via the Red Cross in Gaza, with the identification confirmed by the prime minister's office.
- This return is part of an ongoing exchange, with Hamas having now returned 21 of the 28 bodies of hostages buried in Gaza.
- In return, Israel has handed over 270 bodies of Palestinians killed since the conflict began, following a ratio of 15 Palestinian bodies for each Israeli hostage body.
- The exchange is part of a ceasefire aimed at de-escalating the conflict, which was triggered by the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack and Israel's subsequent military offensive.