CNN
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The Israeli military said Monday that Omer Maxim Neutra, an American-Israeli citizen who was previously believed to be alive and held hostage in Gaza, was killed during the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023.
Neutra, 21, served as a tank platoon commander in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) during the time of the attack, the IDF said, adding that Neutra’s body is still being held hostage in Gaza. It is unclear what caused the IDF to make the announcement. In previous cases when a hostage was declared dead, the finding was based on new intelligence and evidence.
“Omer loved sports, playing soccer, basketball, and volleyball, and served as the captain of his school’s sports teams,” the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in a statement. “Family and friends described him as a warm, optimistic, and caring individual who ‘lights up the room the moment he enters.’”
Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz said in a statement that Neutra “fell in a heroic battle near Nir Oz on October 7.” Nir Oz, a small kibbutz near Gaza in southern Israel, was one of the communities worst impacted by the terror attacks of October 7, with one in four residents murdered or kidnapped.
Neutra’s parents Ronen and Orna Neutra spoke to CNN last week, describing the pain of having to celebrate their second Thanksgiving without their son at the table.
Believing Omer to be alive, they said they were hoping the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon could serve as a “time to refocus” on securing his release.
“We have seen that attention both in Israel and around the world was taken from the war in Gaza to the war in Lebanon in the last four or five months, and that was a concern to us,” Ronen Neutra said. “But at the same time, we are disappointed that it was not combined with a hostage deal, which is really the most urgent element right now. We consider it a missed opportunity.”
Neutra was one of seven American citizens held in Gaza. Four, including Neutra, have been pronounced dead.
US President Joe Biden said in a statement on Monday that he and first lady Jill Biden were “devastated and outraged” following the announcement of Neutra’s death.
“Less than a month ago, Omer’s mother and father joined me at the White House to share the pain they’ve endured as they prayed for the safe return of their son – pain no parent should ever know,” Biden wrote in the statement.
“During this dark hour – as our nation joins Omer’s parents, brother, and family in grieving this tragic loss – we pray to find strength and resilience. And to all the families of those still held hostage: We see you. We are with you. And I will not stop working to bring your loved ones back home where they belong,” the president added.
The announcement of Neutra’s death sparked an outpouring of grief from Israeli officials. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called him “a person of great values, rich in talents, and a Zionist in every fiber of his being.”
Israel’s President Isaac Herzog, who has met Neutra’s family on several occasions, described the news of his death as “devastating.”
“Omer was born and raised in the United States and chose to (come) to Israel, and enlist in the IDF to stand in the defense of our people,” Herzog said.
The news of Neutra’s death came just days after Hamas released a video of Edan Alexander, one of the three Israeli-American hostages still believed to be alive in Gaza.
The propaganda video was released on Saturday. It shows Alexander, 20, who appears to be under duress, stating he has been held captive for more than 420 days and begging Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President-elect Donald Trump for his release. Monday marked 423 days since the war between Israel and Hamas erupted.
Speaking in front of thousands at a rally on Saturday night at “Hostage Square” in Tel Aviv, Alexander’s mother Yael Alexander said she was “shaken by the video.”
She told the crowd she had been contacted by the Israeli leader following the release of the video.
“My Edan, my love, we miss you so much. I want to tell you that following your request, about an hour ago, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called me. He strengthened me and assured me that now, after the deal in Lebanon, the conditions are ripe to release you and bring you home,” she said.
According to Israeli authorities, Hamas is holding 101 hostages in Gaza – 97 taken on October 7, 2023 and four others who were kidnapped before that. At least 37 of the hostages have now been confirmed dead by Israel. The hostages include 13 women and two children under the age of five, according to the authorities.
This story has been updated with additional developments.
