TEL AVIV — An Israeli American soldier who was thought to have been captured alive by Hamas during the Oct. 7, 2023, terror attack was actually killed that day and his body taken into the Gaza Strip, Israel’s military said Monday.
Omer Neutra, a 21-year-old New York native who was a tank platoon commander after he emigrated to Israel, was killed in battle, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on X as he paid tribute.
“Omer’s life story and dedication represent the best and strongest we have built as a nation,” he said in a post on X. He added that Neutra was killed in battle in Nir Oz, a kibbutz less than 2 miles from the fenced-off border with Gaza and one of the areas hit hardest when Hamas militants stormed through southern Israel.
However, the military did not say how it came to the conclusion over Neutra’s death. It added that he had been posthumously promoted to the rank of captain.
Around 250 people were taken hostage during Hamas’ terror attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, that also saw 1,200 people killed, according to Israeli tallies. Around 100 people remain in captivity, although a third are believed to be dead.
Neutra was born and raised in the United States, before he emigrated to Israel as a lone soldier and enlisted in the Armored Corps, according to the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, an advocacy group for those held captive and their families.
In a statement released Monday, it said his body was still being held captive by Hamas.
Neutra is survived by his parents, Ronen and Orna Neutra, and his brother, Daniel Neutra.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu extended his “heartfelt condolences" to the family. “We share in the family’s heavy grief,” he said in a statement, adding, “We will continue to act resolutely and tirelessly until we return all of our captives — the living and the dead.”
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, who met with Neutra’s parents in March, also offered condolences to his family. “We pray that his body can be returned to his family who have been speaking out for him & all hostages since that horrific day,” she said in a post on X.
Speaking to NBC News' "TODAY" in September, Neutra's parents called for a ceasefire and hostage-release deal with Hamas.
“We basically ask ourselves every morning, ‘What are we doing today to try and bring him out?’” Ronen Neutra said, adding that it was “critical that people do not forget” the hostages.
News of Neutra's death came just two days after the mother of Israeli American hostage Edan Alexander told NBC News that she was both shaken and relieved to see her son in a Hamas-issued propaganda video.
“To get this video it’s a huge relief for me to see that he’s still strong. It was amazing,” Yael Alexander said in a video call Saturday, hours after the video, captioned “time is running out,” was posted on the Telegram channel of Hamas’ military wing, the Qassam Brigades.
The 20-year-old, who appears under duress in the Hamas video, calls on President-elect Donald Trump to use his power to negotiate for the freedom of those who remain in captivity in Gaza.
While a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group appeared to be holding, there have been few signs of progress in talks to secure a release of the remaining hostages or a cessation of fighting with Hamas in Gaza, where more than 44,000 people have been killed in 14 months of war, according to local health officials.
Hamas leaders held talks with Egyptian security officials Sunday to explore ways to reach a deal with Israel that could secure the release of hostages in return for Palestinian prisoners.
