Father of American-Israeli Hostage Demands U.N. Action After 593 Days of Hamas Captivity

For 593 days, Ruby Chen has lived a father’s nightmare, his son Itay, an American-Israeli citizen, held captive by Hamas in Gaza. Itay, just 19, was serving in the Israeli Defense Forces when, on October 7, 2023, his tank was overrun during a brutal Hamas assault. Three of the four crew members, including Itay, were taken hostage. In March 2024, the IDF delivered gut-wrenching news: Itay likely didn’t survive. Yet Hamas refuses to confirm his fate or release his remains, wielding silence as a weapon of psychological torment.

Hamas’ cruelty knows no bounds. Holding the bodies of the dead as bargaining chips, they defy basic human decency and international law, specifically U.N. Security Council Resolution 2474. Passed unanimously in 2019, it demands that all parties in conflict search for the missing and return their remains, no exceptions. Hamas’ actions spit in the face of this global pledge, leaving over 30 families in Gaza and 50,000 worldwide in agonizing limbo, their loved ones unaccounted for.

Last week, Ruby Chen stood before the U.N. Security Council, not as a polished diplomat but as a grieving father. He pleaded for action, urging the appointment of a Special Representative for Hostage Affairs to champion families like his. “We need someone to fight for our loved ones,” he said, his voice carrying the weight of 593 days of uncertainty. Such a role could coordinate global efforts, hold groups like Hamas accountable, and amplify the voiceless—parents, siblings, and spouses trapped in grief’s purgatory.

Chen’s plea echoes beyond Gaza. President Trump, who has secured the release of 37 American hostages from six countries since taking office, has repeatedly demanded freedom for all Gaza hostages, living or dead. Yet, as wars drag on, public attention fades. “That silence has teeth,” Chen warned, noting how it dismisses the pain of families like his, whose son was a fervent Boston Celtics fan, robbed of cheering through playoff seasons.

Itay’s fate, confirmed or not, doesn’t diminish his humanity or his family’s right to closure. The world must not let their grief fade into the shadows of apathy.