American father of Hamas hostage Itay Chen pushes US, Israel on ‘Plan B’ as negotiations falter

"When was the past clip you talked to your kid? Do you cognize wherever helium slept past night? Do you cognize what helium ate? Do you cognize if helium had a broad connected him?" Ruby Chen, begetter of Itay Chen who was taken by Hamas connected Oct. 7, 2023, asked successful a sit-down interrogation with Fox News Digital.

"All those types of questions are questions that we inquire ourselves constantly," helium said. "The feeling is that we've been failed."

Itay,19 years aged erstwhile helium was taken, has remained a hostage held successful Gaza for 365 days aft his portion successful the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) was attacked successful confederate Israel erstwhile Hamas terrorists flooded the borderline successful a bid of wide assaults. 

Chen, a New York City native, said helium and his woman person been fixed "unprecedented" entree to the White House, the CIA and different apical agencies passim the past twelvemonth to discuss ongoing strategies to effort and get the hostages retired of Gaza.

IDF Sgt. Itay Chen was serving on the Gaza borderline erstwhile helium was taken hostage by Hamas terrorists connected Oct. 7. (IDF)

ISRAEL SAYS TOP HAMAS RAFAH BRIGADE ‘DISMANTLED’ ON PHILADELPHI CORRIDOR, 2,000 TERRORISTS KILLED

The Chens person not lone met with nationalist information advisor Jake Sullivan a twelve times, arsenic good arsenic CIA Director William Burns and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, they besides clasp a play telephone with the White House. 

But ultimately, these supportive efforts person fallen level erstwhile it comes to the existent needs of American families whose loved ones are inactive held hostage by Hamas. 

"We person been failed by the Israeli government, we, arsenic U.S. citizens, consciousness we've been failed by the Biden medication contempt each of the entree that they've provided us," helium explained. "They stock arsenic overmuch arsenic they can. But astatine the extremity of the day, it's… precise achromatic and white.

"Where is he?"

Itay Chen has been confirmed dormant aft being taken hostage connected Oct. 7, Israeli officials said. (Fox News )

Chen explained that pursuing the Oct. 7 attacks connected Israel, the Israeli authorities pushed a strategy to unafraid the merchandise of the past 251 hostages by bombarding suspected Hamas positions successful Gaza.

In the archetypal weeks pursuing the deadly Hamas attacks, Israel began pounding bluish Gaza – a determination Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu believed would bring Hamas person Yahya Sinwar "to his knees" and marque him beryllium "willing to merchandise hostages."

A week-long cease-fire successful November saw the merchandise of 105 hostages. Twelve different hostages person been freed pursuing negotiations during the contiguous aftermath of the attack, oregon due to the fact that of IDF rescue operations betwixt February and August. 

YAZIDI WOMAN HELD HOSTAGE FOR 10 YEARS IN GAZA RESCUED IN ISRAEL, US OPERATION

None of the 8 American hostages that were kidnapped person been released, and lone 7 proceed to beryllium held by Hamas aft the assemblage of Hersh Goldberg-Polin was discovered by IDF forces successful precocious August, aft helium on with 5 others were killed by the violent group.

More than 100 hostages stay successful captivity successful the Gaza Strip – 97 of whom were abducted connected Oct. 7, 2023.

American hostages who were taken by Hamas terrorists connected Oct. 7, 2023, and held successful Gaza.

The Chens, different American families and the planetary assemblage person repeatedly urged Israel and Hamas to reach a cease-fire agreement and instrumentality each hostages to their families. 

But disagreements implicit information corridors successful Gaza person created a seemingly insurmountable hurdle arsenic U.S., Egyptian and Qatari officials enactment to get Israel and Hamas to scope an agreement.

The begetter of the IDF worker pointed retired that truthful agelong arsenic nary 1 is discussing a "day after" program for the Gaza Strip and the Palestinians there, Hamas volition proceed to clasp tightly to its astir almighty bargaining chip, the hostages.

WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 13: Surrounded by different household members of Americans who were taken hostage by Hamas during the October 7 violent attacks successful Israel, Jonathan Dekel-Chen, begetter of Sagui Dekel-Chen, and Ruby Chen, begetter of Itay Chen, talk to reporters aft a gathering with President Biden astatine the White House connected Wednesday, December 13, 2023. 

"Where is Hamas successful the day-after? And if nary 1 is consenting to speech astir it, past Hamas believes that they are amended disconnected holding connected to the hostages until thing changes," helium explained. "It's a jihad organization. They privation to person chaos. They are looking for a determination conflict.

"When they spot that there's present a struggle with Lebanon, that does not motivate them to get into a cease-fire agreement. On the contrary, they privation to belong, and person different players articulation successful this jihad against Israel," Chen continued. "So I question, what is the plan?"

"I americium precise captious of the time," Itay’s begetter said. "The past 10 months, I've been asking Mr. Sullivan, What's program B?

"I haven’t heard of a Plan B. And that’s unacceptable," helium added.

A antheral walks past structure tents erected adjacent collapsed buildings successful the Bureij campy for Palestinian refugees successful Gaza connected Oct. 1, 2024. (Eyad Baba/AFP via Getty Images)

BLINKEN TRAVELS TO EGYPT FOR CEASE-FIRE TALKS AS ISRAEL ADDS NEW WAR GOAL

Securing bid successful the portion became adjacent much precarious past week aft Israel, against the objections of the U.S. and its planetary allies, launched an incursion into confederate Lebanon with the expressed intent of dismantling the menace posed by Hezbollah.

Chen pointed retired that this 2nd beforehand not lone added different magnitude to securing the merchandise of the hostages, but it besides seemingly pushed talks with Hamas connected the backburner arsenic concerns stay precocious implicit a broader determination conflict.

"If you could travel the news, you could spot that the hostage contented has been little prioritized," helium said. "And that's a precise hard feeling for america and the families."

Netanyahu has said his apical priority is securing the merchandise of the hostages, but his refusal to retreat from the Philidelphi Corridor owed to information reasons has created a dialog impasse and questions person begun to equine implicit whether the premier curate is truly prioritizing the hostages implicit his push to "eliminate Hamas." 

But the parents of Itay – who has been described arsenic a "fun-loving kid," the "sandwich" of the household with an older sibling and younger sibling, everybody's "best friend," and a erstwhile Boy Scout turned a young antheral with a loving woman – cannot let for him, oregon the others inactive successful Gaza, to beryllium astatine the mercy of immoderate governmental agenda. 

"I’m a feline that comes from New York City – and we speech less, we look astatine actions. The actions of the past twelvemonth amusement the opposite." Chen said. "He tin accidental immoderate helium wants. I don’t judge a happening that comes retired of his mouth, I judge successful what helium does."

The begetter of 3 besides urged the Biden medication to question whether it is inactive successful the U.S.’s strategical involvement to unequivocally backmost Netanyahu.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses the 79th league of the United Nations General Assembly, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

"There is nary accountability from either broadside for failed negotiation. You bash not spot immoderate equation that says, ‘OK, if you bash not bash A, past there's a consequence’ connected either side," Chen said successful notation to some Israel and Hamas. "There’s nary effect associated with a antagonistic enactment to a strategical involvement of the United States."

Chen besides argued that "effective pressure" needs to beryllium enactment connected Hamas by reevaluating what different "pressure points" tin beryllium utilized.

The begetter pointed to the wide request for tougher economical and diplomatic engagement erstwhile it comes to planetary assistance sent to Gaza – including tougher sanctions not lone connected adversarial nations but on spouse countries that let aid to travel into Gaza.

This includes stricter oversight of United Nations-provided humanitarian aid, which though intended for the Palestinian people, is falling into the hands of Hamas, a radical that is not designated arsenic a violent enactment by the UN.

Hamas has agelong been accused of seizing basal goods successful Gaza and past reselling them in a black-market scheme astatine exuberant prices. 

Reports person further indicated that Hamas for years has had substantial entree to monetary assistance siphoned from funds provided by apical organizations similar the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which has been straight utilized for combatant operations against Israel, including passageway gathering and entree to arms.  

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Itay Chen's begetter pleaded with President Biden to assistance his household find their son. (Obtained by Fox News)

But speech from the important request to code aid-based concerns, Chen besides argued that diplomatic solutions are not being afloat recognized by the U.S.

Nations similar Russia and Thailand secured the merchandise of their citizens taken by Hamas, and Chen argued Washington – which was capable to negociate with its biggest adversary conscionable months agone to escaped U.S. citizens from Russian prisons – should beryllium moving to bash the aforesaid to unafraid the merchandise of those held successful Gaza.

"So, it's possible," Chen said. "Complicated, yep. Doable, yep."

"The presumption that was enactment successful beforehand of america astatine the opening was that U.S. hostages volition travel retired via a larger woody that Israel volition beryllium a portion of. And if that presumption is not moving retired aft a year, past yes, we request to situation the medication and look astatine that assumption.

"Is that inactive valid aft 1 year?"