Hamas's "Psychological Warfare" Leaves Families in Limbo

Ruby Chen, the father of missing Israeli soldier Itay Chen, believes Hamas is intentionally delaying the return of deceased hostages as part of its "psychological warfare" against Israel. Chen, a 57-year-old venture capitalist and US citizen, has been advocating for the release of his son and the 27 other presumed dead hostages. Despite claims by Hamas that they are having difficulty locating the bodies, Chen and other families question the group's sincerity, pointing to the fact that many of the living hostages have been released in recent weeks.

Key Takeaways:

• Hamas has been accused of delaying the return of deceased hostages as part of its "psychological warfare" against Israel.
• Ruby Chen, the father of missing Israeli soldier Itay Chen, believes Hamas has a "pretty good idea" of where the bodies of remaining hostages are located and could have released more by now.
• Under the terms of the Trump ceasefire deal, Hamas was obliged to return all 28 dead hostages by midday on Monday last week, but Israel has accused Hamas of failing to fulfill their side of the deal.
• Israel officials told JD Vance, the US vice-president, that they believe Hamas is currently in a position to return at least 10 of the 13 missing deceased hostages.
• Chen has criticized Hamas for not communicating with mediators as to how their efforts are proceeding, creating an information void that prolonged the distress of families.
• The uncertainty surrounding the return of the hostages has been described by Chen as a form of "psychological warfare" that is causing immense distress for the families.
• Chen has been a bitter critic of Benjamin Netanyahu's efforts to end the war and recover the hostages, and has walked out of the Israeli prime minister's address at the UN General Assembly in New York.
• The families of the hostages are keeping busy with activism and solidarity events, including attending funerals, but have not yet planned a funeral for Itay Chen, as there is always the doubt that a miracle could happen and the situation could change.

Statistics:

• 28 dead hostages were supposed to be returned by midday on Monday last week, according to the Trump ceasefire deal.
• 13 missing deceased hostages are still unaccounted for, according to Israel officials.
• 10 of the missing deceased hostages could be returned by Hamas, according to Israel officials.
• 27 presumed dead hostages are currently listed, including Itay Chen.
• Two US citizens, including Itay Chen, are still being held hostage in Gaza.

Sources:

• The Telegraph
• Kan public broadcaster