On Tuesday night, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed the transfer of Itay Chen’s body, marking the return of the final US citizen held captive by Hamas.

The release was facilitated through the Red Cross, following the discovery of another body in Gaza City’s Shejaiya neighborhood. This area has previously been the site where other hostages’ remains were found.

Identified as 19-year-old Itay Chen, the young soldier had ties to New York and tragically lost his life in the terrorist attack on October 7, as reported by the IDF.

In an official statement, the Israeli military expressed sincere condolences to Chen’s family and reaffirmed their commitment to retrieving all deceased hostages. “The IDF expresses deep condolences to the family, continues to make every effort to return all the deceased hostages, and is prepared for the continued implementation of the agreement,” they stated.

The statement also emphasized the responsibility of Hamas to adhere to the agreement and ensure the return of all hostages to their families for a respectful burial. “Hamas is required to fulfill its part of the agreement and make the necessary efforts to return all the hostages to their families and to a dignified burial,” the IDF urged.

With the return of Chen, who had dual US-Israel citizenship, seven hostages remain in Gaza.

Hamas has previously handed over the remains of people not listed among the hostages who were kidnapped on Oct. 7, 2023, sparking backlash and airstrikes across Gaza that repeatedly threatened to undo the US-backed peace deal.

Like with other exchanges, Hamas didn’t confirm the identity of the body it released on Tuesday.

Before Tuesday’s exchange, six of the eight slain hostages were Israelis, one was a Tanzanian national, and one was from Thailand.

Hamas has faced increased pressure from Israel and the US to speed up the retrieval of the bodies in Gaza, with the Jewish state claiming that the terrorist group is purposefully slowing down the process as a negotiation tactic.

Hamas, however, insists that it needs more time and assistance in locating the slain hostages across war-torn Gaza, with Egyptian excavators currently operating inside the Strip to help.

Along with Tuesday’s hostage release, Gaza saw another tense conflict breakout amid the fragile cease-fire after Israeli soldiers fired at a “terrorist” who crossed the so-called “Yellow Line” demarcating the areas currently under IDF occupation.