In a significant diplomatic effort, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, alongside U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, met with the families of Itay Chen and Omer Neutra, two American citizens whose bodies remain in Gaza after the tragic events of October 7, 2023.
“We are committed to honoring the memories of those held captive by Hamas,” Rubio stated on social media platform X. “Today, I had the opportunity to meet with the families of Itay Chen and Omer Neutra. Our determination to bring back their remains, along with those of all hostages, remains unwavering.”
Rubio shared an image capturing the meeting, where he and Huckabee were seen in conversation with the grieving families.
Huckabee also reflected on the meeting in a social media update, describing Rubio’s visit to Israel as “highly productive” in terms of advancing the U.S.-led peace initiative for Gaza. However, he emphasized, “The success of any peace plan hinges on the release of ALL hostages!”
The meeting underscored the ongoing commitment to resolving the plight of those affected by the crisis, as highlighted by the presence of Itay Chen and Omer Neutra’s families, whose dual citizenship ties them to both the U.S. and Israel.
Ruby Chen, Itay’s father, revealed to Fox News Digital that this was his fifth meeting with Rubio since the latter assumed the position of Secretary of State, reflecting the ongoing dialogue and effort to bring closure to these tragic events.
“It was important for us to receive energy from him after a number of days of no hostage releases,” Ruby Chen told Fox News Digital. “He gave us his commitment [that] they are focused on the release of all the remaining hostages with an emphasis on my son, a U.S. citizen. The secretary promised he will pass our meeting highlights to POTUS.”
Ruby Chen also met with Vice President JD Vance and second lady Usha Vance and U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff during their recent visit to Israel.
Ronen Neutra, Omer’s father, also spoke with Fox News Digital about the meeting. He said that they “learned that the assumption is that Hamas is trying to gain time by prolonging the return of the hostages” so that the terror group can move freely in the areas that no longer have Israeli soldiers.
“After all the work that President Trump and his administration did, they deserve to get the Americans back,” Ronen Neutra said, referring to his son and Itay Chen. “We deserve to get our sons back and get our closure and start to deal with the grief process, something that we’ve been postponing for the last two years.”
Ronen Neutra also expressed his gratitude for the Trump administration for its efforts to end the war and get all hostages — living and deceased — home.
The bodies of American citizens Itay Chen, left, and Omer Neutra, right, have not yet been returned to Israel by Hamas. (The Hostages and Missing Families Forum)
All living hostages are now out of Gaza, but the remains of 13 deceased hostages have not been returned by Hamas. The Israeli government has reiterated its call for Hamas to return the remains of all the hostages.
Neutra and Chen’s parents were vocal advocates for the release of the living and deceased hostages.
In July 2024, Neutra’s parents spoke at the Republican National Convention, while Chen’s parents spoke at the Democratic National Convention in August 2024. They have also met with people around the world, including several officials, as they fight to get their sons back.
A drone view shows a rally held by hostage families and supporters at “Hostages Square” in Tel Aviv, Israel, Oct. 18, 2025. (Ilan Rosenberg/Reuters)
Chen, a 19-year-old dual U.S.-Israeli citizen, was initially believed to have been kidnapped by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, while serving along the Gaza border, but he was later declared dead by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). His body is still held by Hamas in Gaza.
Neutra, 21, a fellow American-Israeli from New York, was killed in battle that same day, and his body remains in captivity.
