Sad news out of Israel Monday: the Israel Defense Forces confirmed that Israeli-American citizen Omer Maxim Neutra, who was thought to be alive and held captive by Hamas, was actually killed during the terrorist group’s savage attacks of October 7, 2023.
Omer Neutra, a 21-year-old American-Israeli, served as a platoon commander in the Armored Corps. Today we can confirm, based on intelligence, that he was killed in battle on Oct. 7 and his body has been held hostage in Gaza since.
May his memory be a blessing. pic.twitter.com/gfQvXsuEbO
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) December 2, 2024
The White House issued a statement Monday, saying that President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden were devastated:
💔 Omer Neutra z”l
“Our hearts are heavy today. Jill and I are devastated and outraged to learn of the death of Omer Neutra, an American citizen, whose body Hamas has apparently been holding since they killed him during their brutal terrorist attack on 10/7.” – @POTUS pic.twitter.com/AgQbAvE2fe
— Shelley Greenspan (@ShelleyGspan) December 2, 2024
The statement continued, describing how the Bidens had met with the native New Yorker’s parents at the White House:
Omer was just 21 years old when he was taken by Hamas. He 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.
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. They told me how Omer’s grandparents were Holocaust survivors and how their family’s strength and resilience has been carried through the generations.
Neutra was serving in the IDF when Hamas launched their surprise attack:
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.’”
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who was recently named ambassador to Israel by President-elect Donald Trump, was among many who posted condolences to social media:
So sad to hear that US citizen Omer Neutra, taken hostage by the savages of Hamas Oct 7, 2023 is confirmed dead. I got to know his parents on a flight to Israel in Dec of 2023. I wore a dog tag w/ Omer’s name as reminder of Americans held hostage. Heartbroken for his parents.
— Gov. Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) December 2, 2024
Barbarity: UPDATE: Hamas Releases Video of American Hostage, Forces Him to Make Demands of Trump
Hamas Releases Video Allegedly Showing Oct. 7 Hostage Who Was Killed; The IDF Responds.
HEARTBREAK: American Hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 5 Others Murdered by Hamas
It’s a heartbreaking end to an already sad story, and yet another reminder of just how despicable the Hamas attack was.
Hamas kidnapped, killed, and is holding the body of American citizen and New York native Omer Neutra. Israel must be given every available tool to save American lives and utterly destroy Hamas from the face of this earth. American lives matter. May Omer’s memory be a blessing pic.twitter.com/w7ikeiLRf4
— Shabbos Kestenbaum (@ShabbosK) December 2, 2024
