By: Fern Sidman
In a poignant appeal that blended bipartisan respect with moral urgency, Rep. Thomas Suozzi, a Democrat from Long Island, penned a heartfelt letter to President Donald Trump on Sunday, imploring him to use his influence to secure the return of two American hostages presumed dead in Gaza — including one of Suozzi’s own constituents.
The letter, obtained and reported by The New York Post on Sunday, calls on Trump to personally intervene in the ongoing negotiations with Hamas to ensure that the remains of Itay Chen, 19, and Omer Neutra, 22, are brought home for burial. Both young men were serving in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) when they were abducted during Hamas’s October 7, 2023 terrorist attack on southern Israel — the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust.
Suozzi, who represents a district with one of the largest Jewish populations in the country, praised Trump’s “remarkable feat” in brokering the recent ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, which has already led to the return of dozens of hostages. But as The New York Post reported, the congressman’s letter underscored the painful reality that the families of Chen and Neutra — both American citizens — are still waiting for closure.
“Amid their grief, these two families and their supporters are left questioning whether the continued captivity of their beloved children stems from genuine challenges in locating them or from the fact that they are American citizens,” Suozzi wrote. “Whatever the reason, they are pinning their hopes on you. We know you have much on your plate, but we are pleading with you to urgently make every effort to bring them home.”
As The New York Post report noted, Trump’s Middle East diplomacy has drawn praise even from some of his political opponents, including Suozzi, who has been one of the more measured and pragmatic voices in the Democratic caucus. The president’s ceasefire agreement, achieved after weeks of tense shuttle diplomacy involving Qatar and Egypt, has been hailed as a rare breakthrough in a conflict that has often defied resolution.
The deal has already resulted in the release of 20 living hostages and the return of 12 deceased victims, whose bodies had been held by Hamas for months. Yet, as of this week, 18 slain hostages remain unaccounted for — including Chen and Neutra.
“Mr. President, securing the ceasefire and reuniting so many families is historic,” Suozzi continued in his letter. “Please help ensure these families can also find closure and properly lay their sons to rest.”
The appeal highlights a profound tension at the heart of Trump’s Gaza strategy: while the administration has succeeded in brokering an uneasy calm, the issue of hostage recovery — particularly for foreign nationals — remains emotionally charged and politically fraught.
As The New York Post reported last week, Trump has publicly vowed that if Hamas does not release all remaining hostages, he will authorize Israel to “continue their offensive in the Gaza Strip” without restraint. “You can’t negotiate with killers who don’t honor their word,” he said during a rally in Pennsylvania.
The stories of Omer Neutra and Itay Chen, as detailed in The New York Post report, have captured the hearts of both Americans and Israelis.
Neutra, a native of Plainview, Long Island, was born in Manhattan to Israeli immigrant parents. A graduate of Schechter School of Long Island, he attended Binghamton University before taking a gap year in Israel — a journey that turned into a life-changing decision. After reconnecting with his heritage and friends serving in the IDF, Neutra enlisted in the army’s Tank Brigade, where he served until his capture and presumed death in the October 7 onslaught.
The American Jewish Committee described Neutra as “a young man of courage, kindness, and promise who answered the call to serve.” Suozzi echoed that sentiment in his letter, praising him as “a model of moral clarity and devotion to both his American and Jewish identities.”
Neutra’s father, speaking to The New York Post last week, described the agony of living in limbo.
“We don’t know when we’re going to get our son,” he said. “Will it be today, in two hours, in one week — or never? The waiting is a continual horror for the families.”
For Itay Chen, the youngest American hostage, the anguish is compounded by uncertainty. Just 19 years old at the time of his abduction, Chen was raised in Tel Aviv but maintained deep ties to the United States, frequently visiting his father’s family in Brooklyn, where his father was born.
His father told The New York Post that the family still holds out hope that he may somehow be alive, even as the Israeli government has declared him presumed dead.
“We do not have that physical evidence,” he said. “Until then, we will keep praying for a miracle.”
While Suozzi has often disagreed with Trump on domestic issues, his letter struck a notably bipartisan and conciliatory tone. As The New York Post report observed, the congressman commended the president for “achieving what so many before you could not — a deal that saved lives and offered a glimmer of peace.”
It was a rare moment of unity in a sharply divided Washington, reflecting Suozzi’s long-standing emphasis on pragmatic problem-solving over partisan theatrics.
A former Nassau County executive and seasoned legislator, Suozzi has consistently advocated for U.S.-Israel cooperation, a stance that has resonated deeply within his Long Island district, which includes a significant number of Jewish voters. His appeal to Trump — part moral plea, part diplomatic request — reflects both his constituency’s concerns and his personal conviction that the plight of the hostages transcends party politics.
“Every American should want these young men brought home — whether living or deceased,” Suozzi wrote. “This is not a matter of politics but of humanity.”
As The New York Post reported, Suozzi’s letter has reignited debate over the role the U.S. should play in ensuring the safety — and, when necessary, the repatriation — of its citizens abroad.
Foreign policy analysts quoted by the paper noted that while the U.S. has historically relied on intermediaries like Qatar to negotiate with Hamas, Trump’s hands-on approach could accelerate the recovery of the remaining hostages or their remains.
“Trump has made it clear that he views American lives as non-negotiable,” said one former State Department official quoted in The New York Post report. “If Hamas refuses to cooperate, there’s little doubt he’ll greenlight Israel to act decisively.”
Yet the dilemma remains deeply human at its core. For the Chen and Neutra families — as well as the 16 others still awaiting word — the issue is not about policy, but closure.
So far, according to the report in The New York Post, Israel has recovered the bodies of 12 deceased hostages and successfully rescued 20 living captives, thanks to the painstaking coordination between Israeli intelligence, U.S. negotiators, and humanitarian intermediaries. But 18 more slain hostages remain in Gaza, their families trapped in a purgatory of hope and despair.
For those families, Trump’s deal represents both a lifeline and a reminder of how much remains unfinished.
As Suozzi put it in his letter: “You have accomplished something truly historic, Mr. President. Now, we ask only that you finish the work — to bring every son and daughter home, and give every family the peace of knowing.”
For the families of Omer Neutra and Itay Chen, peace can only come when their sons are finally laid to rest on Israeli soil — the same land they died defending.
Until then, as The New York Post wrote in its coverage of the congressman’s letter, “Long Island’s prayers remain fixed not on politics, but on two names, two faces, and one plea that echoes from Plainview to Tel Aviv: bring them home.”
