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. As of 23 February 2025, Neutra’s body is still being held hostage by Hamas in Gaza.
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.
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 describing the pain of having to celebrate their second Thanksgiving without their son at the table.
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