A German-Israeli man who was kidnapped in the Gaza Strip has been declared dead.
“It is devastating to learn that our fellow German, Itay Chen, whom we had hoped to be still alive, is dead after all,” the German ambassador to Israel, Steffen Seibert, stated on Wednesday.
Hamas killed the German-Isreali man on October 7, 2023 at age 19, and his body was abducted into Gaza, Seibert said.
“My heart goes to his family who fought tirelessly for his release,” Seibert added.
The death of Chen was reported by an Israeli soldier from the coastal town of Netanya on Tuesday, but without mentioning his other nationalities.
According to reports, Chen was an American citizen.
Israeli reports indicated that unspecified intelligence concluded that the 19-year-old was killed.
“Our hearts are broken, We loved him so much and would have done anything to bring him home alive,” his parents said.
On October 7, 2023, militants from the Palestinian organisation, Hamas, and other extremist groups abducted about 250 people in Gaza Strip as part of a massacre.
During a ceasefire in late November 2023, 105 hostages were released.
According to government figures, around 100 hostages are believed to be still alive.
