HAGIT CHEN: My son was murdered by Hamas, and nothing will ever be the same

One hundred and one names remain on the list of hostages who have been held captive by Hamas in the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, 2023. They were brutally kidnapped by Hamas terrorists - some in their pajamas from their bedrooms, others while dancing at the Nova Music Festival. What happened afterward is almost too horrific to comprehend. Murders, rapes, abuse, and failed peace agreements. Even now, hostages remain directly exposed to Hamas terrorists and their atrocities. And the world watches. Nothing has been the same since.

Nothing has been the same for me, and it never will be again. On that list is the name of Itay Chen. Itay is my son. Since Oct. 7, 2023, nothing has been the same for our family. On that day, we were informed that Itay had been taken hostage into the Gaza Strip. Itay was a name on that list.

For weeks, my family and I did everything in our power to fight for our son's return. The strength we drew from this could only come from a mother's deepest desperation - dreaming of holding her son in her arms again. My husband Ruby and I met with government officials worldwide and spoke to any audience willing to listen. Because time is running out.

After months of uncertainty about my son's fate, we received the devastating news in March of 2024: Itay was dead. Hamas terrorists murdered him on Oct. 7, 2023, and his body was taken to Gaza. He was 19 years old. Itay wasn't just a name on the list. Itay was my son, whom I carried for 9 months and always tried to protect. Itay was a vibrant teenager who spent his youth with the Scouts and loved playing basketball with his brothers Roy and Alon.

But we won't give up. What our family has endured for months, no one should experience for even a single day. The families of the more than 100 remaining hostages live in distress and uncertainty, even after more than a year. They deserve to know whether their loved ones are alive or dead. They deserve the chance to embrace the surviving hostages and mourn the murdered ones. Everyone must come home. Everyone - both the living and the dead.,

Time is running out. October has come back again, but the hostages haven't. Neither has my son, Itay.