Slain hostage’s dad urges UNSC to condemn Hamas, uphold missing persons resolution

Father of slain hostage urges UN Security Council to condemn Hamas, uphold missing persons resolution

Ruby Chen, the father of slain hostage Itay Chen, speaks in New York before the United Nations Security Council, urging the implementation of UN Resolution 2474, which addresses the obligation of returning hostage bodies in armed conflicts.

Chen explains that his son, an IDF soldier who holds US, German, and Israeli citizenship, was taken hostage by Hamas on October 7, 2023, and declared dead in March 2024 based on intelligence gathered by the Israeli military.

However, Hamas has not been willing to acknowledge that Itay is in their possession or confirm that he is dead, Chen tells the Security Council, saying, “I think this is the lowest form of terrorist psychological warfare imaginable.”

“Resolution 2474 obligates parties, state and non-state actors, such as Hamas, in armed conflict to search for and account for the missing. Hamas, by refusing to provide information or access to hostages, even to peace-making entities such as the International Committee of the Red Cross, are in clear violation of this resolution and of international law,” Chen says.

His son’s “physical status, whatever it might be, does not make him any less of a hostage,” he adds.

Chen asserts that Resolution 2474 “must not remain symbolic. It must become enforceable,” and that it “gives the UN and members a legal, but even more so, a moral framework to condemn Hamas for its actions and to sanction its backers, such as Iran.”

He also asks the UN to establish a dedicated special envoy for hostage affairs, saying that without one, the international body “leaves families like ours without a vocal point, without guidance, and without adequate representation.”

Lastly, Chen says that in light of the ongoing negotiations in Doha to reach a potential hostage-ceasefire deal in Gaza, “we also cannot allow a reality where there will be a new UN resolution declaring an end of violence in Gaza without the release of the last hostage.”

“Bring them home now,” he concludes.

Earlier this evening, Leah Goldin, the mother of Lt. Hadar Goldin, who was killed and captured by Hamas on August 1, 2014, delivered a press briefing at the UNSC, similarly urging council members to uphold their commitment to returning missing persons.

Israel’s UN ambassador, Danny Danon, is also slated to address the Council during the session.