Capt. Omer Neutra, 21, from New York, has been killed in battle and his body has been held hostage in Gaza since October 7, 2023, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on social media. Neutra served as a tank platoon commander in the Armored Corps 77th Battalion, 7th Brigade. Prior to the IDF announcement, it was believed he was still alive and being held hostage.
Neutra is one of seven American hostages held in Gaza, and his family joins the families of the other six hostages, including Edan Alexander, Sagui Dekel-Chen, Gadi Haggai, Judi Weinstein Haggai, and Keith Siegel, in pleading for their release.
The cease-fire negotiations have all but collapsed, and Israel’s military campaign to defeat Hamas continues. Some hold out hope that the incoming Trump administration may bring a change to the negotiations and secure the hostages’ release. President-elect Trump has stated that the US wants its hostages back and warns that there will be a “big price” if they are not released before his inauguration in January.