US Secretary of State Marco Rubio vowed Saturday to secure the return of all deceased hostages still held in Gaza, as he met with the families of two captives during his visit to Israel.
“We will not forget the lives of the hostages who died in the captivity of Hamas,” Rubio said on X.
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“Today I met with the families of American citizens Itay Chen and Omer Neutra. We will not rest until their — and all — remains are returned,” he said, before wrapping up his three-day visit to Israel.
Later on Saturday, Rubio spoke by telephone with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott.
The call, he said, discussed “our collective effort to implement President Trump’s Comprehensive Plan to End the Conflict in Gaza”, and “affirmed the strategic relationship between the US and Israel”.
Israeli campaign group the Hostages and Missing Families Forum welcomed Rubio’s remarks on the missing dead.
“Thirteen hostages need to come home. Thirteen families need closure,” the group said on X, thanking the US secretary of state.
“Please don’t stop — until the last hostage is released,” it added.
Chen, a dual Israel-US national and a sergeant in the Israeli army, was working at the border with the Gaza Strip when Hamas and its allies attacked on October 7, 2023.
The military announced his death five months later, in March of 2024.
It said Chen, 19 at the time of the attack, died in combat and his body was taken to Gaza.
Neutra, 21 at the time of the attack and also a US-Israeli national, was a volunteer soldier killed on October 7.
Raised in New York, Neutra came to Israel to experience the country of his parents, his mother Orna Neutra told AFP in November 2023. He later enlisted for military service as most young Israelis do.
Under the US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which came into effect on October 10, all 20 living hostages have been freed by Palestinian militants.
The remains of 15 deceased hostages have also been returned to Israel, while the bodies of 13 others remain in Gaza.
In exchange, Israel has released nearly 2,000 prisoners, mostly Palestinians, along with dozens of Palestinian bodies.
The ceasefire has largely halted hostilities, but on Sunday Israel carried out a wave of air strikes that left dozens of Gazans dead, according to the territory’s health ministry.
Israel said its troops had come under attack, resulting in the death of two soldiers, after which it launched the strikes. Later, Israel restored the ceasefire.
AFP