Overview
- Itay Chen, a 19-year-old Israeli soldier with German and U.S. citizenship, was confirmed by the Israeli army after the ICRC transferred his remains from Gaza.
- German officials expressed condolences, with Ambassador Steffen Seibert noting the family can now mourn and Chancellor Friedrich Merz offering sympathies.
- The handover is part of a U.S.-mediated agreement that freed living hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and set terms for returning the dead.
- After a separate transfer was identified as a Tanzanian student, officials now report six dead hostages remain in Gaza: five Israelis and one Thai national.
- Hamas cites difficulty locating bodies under rubble, a claim Israel rejects as untrue, highlighting continuing disputes over the agreement’s implementation.