A meeting took place between the Secretary of State and U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, and the relatives of Itay Chen and Omer Neutra. These two U.S. citizens died during the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks, and their remains have since been held in Gaza.
“We will not forget the lives of the hostages who died in Hamas’s captivity. I met today with the families of American citizens Itay Chen and Omer Neutra. We will not cease our efforts until their — and all other — remains are returned,” was communicated in a post on X.
Accompanying the post was a photograph showing him and Huckabee seated with the families.
Huckabee, too, shared thoughts on the meeting via a post, indicating it proved “very productive in advancing” the U.S.-brokered Gaza peace initiative. Nevertheless, he stressed that “for the plan to succeed, ALL hostages must be freed!”
Ruby Chen, Itay’s father, informed Digital that this marked his fifth encounter with Rubio since the latter’s appointment as Secretary of State.
“It was crucial for us to draw encouragement from him following several days without any hostage releases,” Ruby Chen shared with Digital. “He assured us of their dedication to securing the release of all outstanding hostages, with particular focus on my son, an American citizen. The Secretary pledged to convey the key points of our discussion to the President, whom he is scheduled to meet later today in Qatar.”
During their recent trip to Israel, Ruby Chen also had discussions with the Vice President and Second Lady Usha Vance, alongside U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.
Omer’s father, Ronen Neutra, likewise spoke to Digital regarding the gathering. He indicated that they “understood the presumption to be that Hamas is attempting to buy time by delaying the return of the hostages,” thereby allowing the militant group unhindered movement in regions no longer patrolled by Israeli forces.
“Given all the efforts undertaken by President Trump and his administration, they merit the return of these Americans,” Ronen Neutra stated, referring to his son and Itay Chen. “We deserve to have our sons returned and to achieve closure, enabling us to finally begin the grieving process, which we have deferred for the past two years.”
Furthermore, Ronen Neutra conveyed his appreciation to the Trump administration for its initiatives aimed at concluding the conflict and facilitating the repatriation of all hostages, both living and deceased.
While all living hostages have now exited Gaza, the bodies of 13 deceased captives have yet to be relinquished by Hamas. The Israeli government has renewed its plea for Hamas to hand over the remains of all these individuals.
The parents have served as outspoken proponents for the liberation of both living and deceased hostages. Neutra’s parents addressed the [event name missing] in July 2024, concurrently with Chen’s parents speaking at the Democratic National Convention in August 2024. Their advocacy has also included meetings with various officials and individuals globally, as they strive for their sons’ repatriation.
Itay Chen, a 19-year-old holding dual U.S.-Israeli citizenship, was initially thought to have been abducted by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, during his service along the Gaza border. However, he was subsequently pronounced deceased by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), and his remains remain in Hamas’s custody in Gaza.
Omer Neutra, 21, also an American-Israeli from [location missing], perished in combat on the identical day, with his body still being held captive.
Amelie Botbol of Digital provided contributions to this report.