The Israeli Military Confirms Death of American-Israeli Hostage Held in Gaza
The Israeli military announced on 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, was a tank platoon commander in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) at the time of the attack.
Neutra’s body is still being held hostage in Gaza, and it is unclear what caused the IDF to make the announcement. Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz said that Neutra “fell in a heroic battle near Nir Oz on October 7.”
Neutra’s parents, Ronen and Orna Neutra, had been hoping to secure their son’s release as part of a hostage deal. They had joined US President Joe Biden at the White House last week to plead for their son’s safe return.
“I 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.”
Neutra was one of seven American citizens held in Gaza, and four have now been pronounced dead. US President Joe Biden called Neutra’s death “devastating and outrageous” and vowed to continue working to bring the remaining hostages home.
The news of Neutra’s death comes just days after Hamas released a video of one of the three Israeli-American hostages still believed to be alive in Gaza, begging for his release. Israeli officials have condemned the Hamas attacks and are working to secure the release of the remaining hostages.