Capt. Omer Neutra, 21, died on October 7 of last year, and his body was taken by Hamas back to the Gaza Strip, the IDF confirmed on Monday.
New intelligence information that came to light allowed a special military commission of rabbis, scientists, and lawyers to finally confirm his death around 14 months later, despite long-standing suspicions that he was dead.
Neutra was a lone soldier from New York, serving as a tank platoon commander in the 77th Battalion of the 7th Brigade.
He was abducted to the Gaza Strip on October 7 along with members of his tank crew.
Tank gunner Nimrod Cohen from Rehovot, who is currently detained in Gaza, tank loader Oz Daniel from Kfar Saba, and driver Shaked Dahan from Afula, whom the IDF has confirmed as killed in Hamas captivity were among Neutra’s crew.
On Sunday, Neutra’s parents spoke with The Jerusalem Post about the possibility of a hostage deal during President-elect Donald Trump’s candidacy.
“He’s a deal maker. He’s done it before,” Ronen Neutra, Omer’s father, said.
“We’re just hoping that he uses his leverage. You know, each side has their own leverages,” Orna Neutra, Omer’s mother, said, adding, “We’re hoping that the combined effort will finally make something move.”
“Omer loved sports, played soccer, basketball, and volleyball, and served as captain of his school’s sports teams,” the Hostages Families Forum said of him.
“His family and friends described him as a warm, optimistic, and people-loving person who ‘lights up the room the moment he enters,'” the forum added.
Hostages currently detained in Gaza captivity
Hamas is currently holding around 50 live and 50 dead hostages of the original 250 it kidnapped.
Around 80 were returned in a hostage deal in November 2023, another eight were rescued, and many others were killed, or their bodies were recovered.
Hannah Sarisohn and Sam Halpern contributed to this report.
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