The US Secretary of State, who is making an official visit to , assured today, Saturday, that efforts are continuing for the return of the bodies of , in a meeting he had with the relatives of two soldiers, who had dual citizenship, American and Israeli, and are among the 13 that have not yet been handed over by .
“We will not forget the lives of the hostages who died in captivity at the hands of Hamas. Today I met with the families of American citizens Itai Chen and Omer Neutra. We will not stop efforts until their bodies are repatriated, as well as all the rest (hostages),” Rubio said in a post on the X platform.
“Thank you” replied through the same platform the main association fighting for the return of the hostages. “13 hostages need to return home, 13 families need answers. Please do not stop until the last one is released,” he said.
On October 7, 2023 Sergeant Itai Chen, 19, was on the border with the Gaza Strip when Hamas and its allies launched their attack, which sparked the war. The Israeli military announced his death in March 2024.
Captain Omer Neutra, who volunteered to join the Israeli armed forces, was killed on October 7, at the age of 21, when his tank was attacked on Israel’s border with the Gaza Strip. According to a video released by Hamas, the attackers forcibly removed him from the tank, along with three other soldiers.
