NEW YORK (1010 WINS) – A U.S.-Israeli soldier from Long Island who was thought to have been taken hostage alive on Oct. 7 is now confirmed to have been killed by Hamas during the terror attack that day, officials said Monday.
In a post on social media, the Israeli government said the Israel Defense Forces confirmed Omer Neutra, 21, was murdered by Hamas more than a year ago and that his body is still being held in Gaza. Israel Defense Minister Israel Katz said on social media that Neutra "fell in a heroic battle near Nir Oz on Oct. 7, 2023."
Gov. Kathy Hochul, who has met with Neutra's parents, directed flags to fly at half-staff across the state on the day of the funeral for Neutra, who was born in New York City and grew up in Plainville in Nassau County. The exact date of the funeral is set to be announced in the coming days.
“For months we’ve prayed for the safe return of Omer Neutra and all those kidnapped by Hamas on October 7th. This horrific news shakes all New Yorkers to our core,” Hochul said in a statement. “I’ve met with Omer’s brave family and learned so much about this incredible young man. As we mourn this tragedy, let us continue to pray for the safe return of the remaining hostages, an end to the war without Hamas in power, and a lasting peace.”
President Joe Biden said in a statement that Neutra was "serving as a tank commander in an Israel Defense Forces unit that was among the first to respond to Hamas's campaign of cruelty—risking his life to save the lives of others."
"A Long Island native, Omer planned to return to the United States for college. He dreamed of dedicating himself to building peace," the president continued, going on to say he had met with Neutra's parents at the White House less than a month ago. "They told me how Omer’s grandparents were Holocaust survivors and how their family’s strength and resilience has been carried through the generations."
News of Neutra's death came just a day after his parents, Orna and Ronen Neutra, rallied in Central Park for the return of their son and the roughly 100 hostages remaining in Gaza, about two-thirds of whom are believed to be alive.
Neutra’s parents led a campaign for his freedom for more than a year, speaking at protests in the U.S. and Israel and addressing the Republican National Convention, while keeping up ties with the Biden administration.
“We share this news with you with a shattered heart - the Neutra family received notice that Omer was killed on 10.7 and his body is held hostage in Gaza,” the Hostages Families Forum said in a statement Monday after holding Sunday's rally in Central Park. Read the group's full statement below.
According to the Hostages Families Forum, Neutra “loved sports, playing soccer, basketball, and volleyball, and served as the captain of his school’s sports teams.”
“Family and friends described him as a warm, optimistic, and caring individual who ‘lights up the room the moment he enters,’” the group said.
A person who answered the door at the Neutra home on Monday said the family was not ready to speak. Rick Lewis, CEO of the Mid Island Y JCC in Plainview, said Neutra’s death has devastated the entire community.
“Everybody waking up this morning to this news feels like they lost a son, a brother, certainly a friend,” Lewis said. “I feel like I’ve grown to know him and prayed every day that he would come home, and today was just devastating. I cried when I heard the news.”
A “Wall of Hope” set up outside the JCC shortly after the Oct. 7 attack remains up as a reminder of the dozens of people who remain in Hamas captivity, and as a place where people can come to think and pray.
“We still need to focus on getting the rest of the hostages home, as well as Omer’s body, so he can have the proper burial as soon as possible,” Lewis said.
Rep. Michael Lawler was among the local leaders who reacted to Neutra's death, writing on social media, "Over the past year, I have come to know Orna and Ronen Neutra very well and have spent countless hours with them as they fought to bring Omer home. Their love, resilience, strength, courage, and faith was extraordinary. This news is devastating and my heart breaks for this family and their beloved Omer. May his memory always be a blessing to them, and us."
Neutra served as a tank platoon commander in the 77th Battalion of the 7th Brigade during the Oct. 7 attack in which around 1,200 people were killed and another 250 taken hostage.
Over the weekend, Hamas released a propaganda video of another hostage, Edan Alexander, a 20-year-old U.S.-Israeli citizen from Tenafly, New Jersey, with the Israel Defense Force.
Of the seven American citizens held in Gaza, three are believed to be alive, while four, including Neutra, have now been confirmed killed.
Statement from the Hostages Families Forum in New York on the death of Omer Neutra:
Dear community, we share this news with you with a shattered heart - the Neutra family received notice that Omer was killed on 10.7 and his body is held hostage in Gaza. Omer, a Long Island native who came to Israel to join the army and enlisted in the Armored Corps after completing a preparatory year with the Garin Tzabar program. Omer loved sports, playing soccer, basketball, and volleyball, and served as the captain of his school’s sports teams. Family and friends described him as a warm, optimistic, and caring individual who 'lights up the room the moment he enters.' Over the past year we have gotten to know closely Omer’s beloved family: his brother Daniel and his parents Orna and Ronen. Just yesterday they spoke at our weekly march in the park demanding the world to fight for their son and all 101 hostages. Words cannot describe the sorrow and pain and we extend our deepest condolences to his family. We will continue to fight that Omer is returned home for a proper burial. May his memory be a blessing. ♥️