Rubio and Huckabee meet with families of American hostages whose bodies are in Gaza

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee met with the families of Itay Chen and Omer Neutra, two U.S. citizens whose bodies have been held hostage in Gaza since they were killed in the October 7, 2023, attacks.

“We will not forget the lives of the hostages who died in Hamas captivity. Today I met with the families of American citizens Itay Chen and Omer Neutra. We will not rest until their and all remains are returned.” Rubio wrote in an article on X.

He included a photo of him and Huckabee sitting with the families.

Huckabee also published an article about the meeting and said Rubio’s visit to Israel was “very productive in advancing” the US-brokered Gaza peace plan. However, he added that “(before) the plan can work, ALL hostages must be freed!”

PARENTS OF KILLED US-ISRAELI HOSTAGE AFRAID TO LOSE THEIR SON “FOREVER” AS HAMAS DOES NOT RETURN REMAINS

The parents of dual U.S.-Israeli citizens Itay Chen and Omer Neutra meet with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee. (The Chen family)

Ruby Chen, Itay’s father, told Fox News Digital that this was the fifth time he had met with Rubio since he became secretary of state.

“It was important for us to receive some energy from him after several days without the release of hostages,” Ruby Chen told Fox News Digital. “He gave us his commitment that they would focus on freeing all remaining hostages, with a particular focus on my son, a U.S. citizen. The secretary promised that he would relay the highlights of our meeting to the U.S. president who he will meet with later today in Qatar.”

Ruby Chen also met with Vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance, as well as US 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 they “have learned that the hypothesis is that Hamas is trying to buy time by prolonging the return of the hostages” so that the terrorist group can move freely in areas where there are no longer Israeli soldiers.

“After all the work President Trump and his administration have done, they deserve to have Americans back,” Ronen Neutra said, referring to his son and Itay Chen. “We deserve to get our sons back, turn the page and start dealing with the grieving process, something we have been putting off for the last two years.”

Ronen Neutra also expressed gratitude to the Trump administration for its efforts to end the war and bring 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)

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All living hostages are now outside Gaza, but the remains of 13 deceased hostages have not been returned by Hamas. The Israeli government reiterated its call for Hamas to return the remains of all hostages.

Neutra and Chen’s parents were strong advocates for the release of 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 also met with people from 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 “Hostage Square” in Tel Aviv, Israel, October 18, 2025. (Ilan Rosenberg/Reuters)

Chen, a 19-year-old American and Israeli citizen, was initially reported to have been kidnapped by Hamas on October 7, 2023, while serving along the Gaza border, but 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 action the same day and his body remains in captivity.

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Amélie Botbol of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.