Secretary of State Marco Rubio Photo: Fadel SENNA / AFP / Profimedia
American Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is visiting Israel, assured on Saturday that efforts to repatriate the remains of the hostages continue, during a meeting that the head of American diplomacy had with the relatives of two Israeli-American soldiers, whose bodies are still in Gaza, reports AFP, taken over by Agerpres.
“We will not forget the hostages who died in captivity at the hands of Hamas. Today I met with the families of American citizens Itay Chen and Omer Neutra,” Marco Rubio wrote in a message on the X network. “We will continue our efforts until their remains – and everyone else's – are repatriated,” he added.
“Thank you”, reacted on X the main organization campaigning for the return of the hostages. “13 hostages (who died in captivity) must return home. 13 families need answers. Please do not stop until the last hostage is handed over,” the organization said.
The last body returned by Hamas to Israel is that of a man who also had Romanian citizenship
On October 7, 2023, 19-year-old Sergeant Itay Chen was stationed at the border with the Gaza Strip when Hamas and its allies launched the attack against Israel that triggered the Gaza War. The Israeli military announced his death in March 2024.
Captain Omer Neutra, a volunteer in the Israeli armed forces, was killed on October 7, at the age of 21, in an attack on his tank on the border between Israel and the Gaza Strip. He was pulled out of the tank by the attackers, along with three other soldiers, according to images published by Hamas.
The US top diplomat is the latest in a series of top US officials to visit Israel this week, following envoy Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner and Vice President JD Vance, in an attempt to shore up the fragile truce in force since October 10 in the Gaza Strip.
According to this agreement, Hamas handed over on October 13, in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, the 20 living hostages that the Islamist group had been holding captive in the Gaza Strip since the October 7, 2023 attack.
As of Oct. 10, Israel has recovered 15 of the 28 bodies of hostages that Hamas has pledged to return, with the Islamist group saying it needs equipment and more time. On Monday, US President Donald Trump warned that Hamas would be “eradicated” if it did not respect the terms of the truce.
