The IDF spokesperson announced Monday that Captain Omer Neutra, tank commander of the 77th Battalion of the 7th Brigade, was killed in the October 7 attack and his remains are being held in Gaza. His death was confirmed by the Chief Military Rabbi after examining all the evidence and on the basis of reliable information. Born and raised on Long Island, Omer Neutra immigrated to Israel as a lone soldier to serve in the army. On October 7, he was commanding a tank crew at the White House post when he was captured with his companions: Nimrod Cohen, the shooter, Shaked Dahan and Oz Daniel, both killed.
Their tank, number 3, became one of the tragic symbols of October 7 after images were broadcast showing terrorists exulting around the burning vehicle.
Just yesterday, his parents, Orna and Ronen Neutra, spoke at a rally in New York following the release of a video of another hostage. “We see and appreciate Biden's commitment. Conditions in Lebanon have changed, all eyes are now on Gaza. The people of Israel are waiting. This is the time to bring them back,” they said, calling President Biden and President-elect Trump to “seize the moment, work together, before January.”
Last October, for his second anniversary in captivity, some 700 people, including his family and friends, organized a march in Manhattan. “It was a moving and powerful event. Seeing all these friends, especially after so much time. It was an event in his image, he was just missing,” his mother confided.
Despite his admission to an American university, Omer chose to make aliyah and enlist in the army. Those close to him described him as “the sabraest there is”, although born in New York. He had studied in a Jewish school and actively participated in community life before doing a preparatory year in Israel.
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