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‘Devastated’: Biden Mourns Death of Israeli-American Hostage
US President Joe Biden, left, meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, right, to discuss the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Oct. 18, 2023. Photo: Miriam Alster/Pool via REUTERS
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Tuesday confirmed the death of Israeli-American 19-year-old Sgt. Itay Chen, who was murdered on Oct. 7 and whose body was taken by Hamas into Gaza.
US President Joe Biden said that he was “devastated” to learn about Chen’s death.
Recent intelligence showed that Chen was killed during a battle with Hamas terrorists near the border with Gaza and that his body was later seized from the Nahal Oz base where he served.
Chen’s death has now been officially recognized by the Israeli army’s chief rabbi, but his family has chosen to postpone the shiva mourning period and wait for the return of his remains, which are still being held by Hamas.
Chen’s last contact with his family was at 6:30 am on Oct. 7, when he updated them that the base was under attack. He was initially categorized as missing, but within days it was confirmed that he had been taken, along with 253 others, into Gaza.
His father, New York native Rubi Chen, emerged as a leading voice among the hostages’ families around the world early on in the Israel-Hamas war and has met with Biden and senior US officials.
Biden on Tuesday recalled a visit by Chen and his brother, Alon, at the White House on Hanukkah.
“Itay’s father and brother joined me at the White House, to share the agony and uncertainty they’ve faced as they prayed for the safe return of their loved one,” he said.
“No one should have to endure even one day of what they have gone through. At the end of our meeting, they gave me a menorah — a solemn reminder that light will always dispel the darkness, and evil will not win.”
Biden reiterated his commitment to return all the hostages still in Gaza after being kidnapped on Oct. 7.
“We are with you. We will never stop working to bring your loved ones home,” Biden promised.
The first time Biden spoke with the older Chen was five days after his son’s abduction during a video meeting together with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who was in Israel at the time.
The Algemeiner spoke with Chen shortly after that meeting about an upcoming bar mitzvah for Alon, his youngest son. Chen extended an open invitation to all who wanted to attend the celebration on the upcoming Saturday.
“Our youngest son deserves to have a happy bar mitzvah. It’s pretty simple. So we put that [horror] aside for a couple of hours and we have the embrace of our community.”
Asked if he was concerned about an impending ground invasion by Israeli forces, Chen, a venture capitalist, said that it was “sadly ironic” that he held onto the hope that the hostages were being used as human shields and that the more prized the hostage — his son, being an American, falling in that category — the higher his chances of survival.
“These animals that took Holocaust survivors and children, they know they need to take care of themselves. It’s basic instinct. They need to surround themselves with people to be human shields,” he told The Algemeiner. “The top [terrorists] are in underground bunkers keeping the hostages, and especially dual citizens, close to them.”
Beyond the kidnappings, Hamas terrorists also murdered 1,200 people during their Oct. 7 invasion of southern Israel, sparking the war in Gaza.
The post ‘Devastated’: Biden Mourns Death of Israeli-American Hostage first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Lebanon Must Disarm Hezbollah to Have a Shot at Better Days, Says US Envoy
Thomas Barrack at the Brooklyn Federal Courthouse in Brooklyn, New York, U.S., November 4, 2022. Photo: REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo
i24 News – Lebanon’s daunting social, economic and political issues would not get resolved unless the state persists in the efforts to disarm Hezbollah, the Iranian proxy behind so much of the unrest and destruction, special US envoy Tom Barrack told The National.
“You have Israel on one side, you have Iran on the other, and now you have Syria manifesting itself so quickly that if Lebanon doesn’t move, it’s going to be Bilad Al Sham again,” he said, using the historical Arabic name for the region sometimes known as “larger Syria.”
The official stressed the need to follow through on promises to disarm the Iranian proxy, which suffered severe blows from Israel in the past year, including the elimination of its entire leadership, and is considered a weakened though still dangerous jihadist outfit.
“There are issues that we have to arm wrestle with each other over to come to a final conclusion. Remember, we have an agreement, it was a great agreement. The problem is, nobody followed it,” he told The National.
Barrack spoke on the heels of a trip to Beirut, where he proposed a diplomatic plan for the region involving the full disarmament of Hezbollah by the Lebanese state.
The post Lebanon Must Disarm Hezbollah to Have a Shot at Better Days, Says US Envoy first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Report: Putin Urges Iran to Accept ‘Zero Enrichment’ Nuclear Deal With US
Russian President Vladimir Putin meets Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of a cultural forum dedicated to the 300th anniversary of the birth of the Turkmen poet and philosopher Magtymguly Fragi, in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Oct. 11, 2024. Photo: Sputnik/Alexander Scherbak/Pool via REUTERS
i24 News – Russian President Vladimir Putin has told Iranian leadership that he supports the idea of a nuclear deal in which Iran is unable to enrich uranium, the Axios website reported on Saturday. The Russian strongman also relayed the message to his American counterpart, President Donald Trump, the report said.
Iranian news agency Tasnim issued a denial, citing an “informed source” as saying Putin had not sent any message to Iran in this regard.
Also on Saturday, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that “Any negotiated solution must respect Iran’s right to enrichment. No agreement without recognizing our right to enrichment. If negotiations occur, the only topic will be the nuclear program. No other issues, especially defense or military matters, will be on the agenda.”
The post Report: Putin Urges Iran to Accept ‘Zero Enrichment’ Nuclear Deal With US first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Syria’s Al-Sharaa Attending At Least One Meeting With Israeli Officials in Azerbaijan
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa speaks during a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron after a meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, May 7, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq/Pool
i24 News – Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa is attending at least one meeting with Israeli officials in Azerbaijan today, despite sources in Damascus claiming he wasn’t attending, a Syrian source close to President Al-Sharaa tells i24NEWS.
The Syrian source stated that this is a series of two or three meetings between the sides, with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani also in attendance, along with Ahmed Al-Dalati, the Syrian government’s liaison for security meetings with Israel.
The high-level Israeli delegation includes a special envoy of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, as well as security and military figures.
The purpose of the meetings is to discuss further details of the security agreement to be signed between Israel and Syria, the Iranian threat in Syria and Lebanon, Hezbollah’s weapons, the weapons of Palestinian militias, the Palestinians camps in Lebanon, and the future of Palestinian refugees from Gaza in the region.
The possibility of opening an Israeli coordination office in Damascus, without diplomatic status, might also be discussed.
The source stated that the decision to hold the meetings in Azerbaijan, made by Israel and the US, is intended to send a message to Iran.
The post Syria’s Al-Sharaa Attending At Least One Meeting With Israeli Officials in Azerbaijan first appeared on Algemeiner.com.