Itay Chen's death reminds us that the hostages' time is running out - opinion

• Published date: 16 March 2024
• Author: WILLIAM DAROFF
• Publication title: Jerusalem Post, The: Web Edition Articles (Israel)

Itay was only 19 years old when Hamas terrorists shattered the ceasefire in place, brutally killed Itay and more than a thousand others, dragged hundreds of living people and lifeless bodies to Gaza, and destroyed innocent families like the Chens

For more than five months, I watched Ruby and Hagit tap into reserves of strength that only a desperate parent could. Their family crossed oceans nearly every week to fight for Itay – meeting with government officials all over the world and speaking to any audience that would listen. Time and again, Ruby appeared on television, clutching an hourglass and warning the world that our time to save the hostages is running out. His son's death is proof that, as the sand falls, the fate of the hostages only becomes bleaker.

Itay's murder is a tragic example of what will happen to all the hostages if Hamas does not release them immediately. I know the Biden Administration, our lawmakers on Capitol Hill, the hostage families, and Jewish organizations are doing everything in their power to return the 134 remaining hostages. But it will all be for naught if Hamas does not relinquish these innocent men, women, and children.

During his State of the Union address last week, US President Joe Biden rightfully said, "Hamas could end this conflict today by releasing the hostages, laying down arms, and surrendering those responsible for October 7th." Today, those words are particularly resonant. Hamas bears sole responsibility for this tragic conflict, and every hostage's death is a reminder of the barbarity of this terror army. Americans, in particular, would do well to remember that eight of their fellow citizens, several still alive, remain in Hamas's hands.

The families of the hostages live in agony, bring them home now

Yes, all of them – the living and the dead, the women and men, the soldiers and the civilians must be returned to their loved ones. The...