IDF confirms death of American-Israeli hostage Omer Neutra

The IDF has announced the death of American-Israeli hostage Omer Neutra, whose body they said had been held in Gaza since October 7 last year.

The 21-year-old from New York, who served as a tank platoon commander in the 7th Armoured Brigade’s 77th Battalion, had been believed to be alive and held as a captive in Gaza until the IDF revealed his death on Monday, citing new intelligence information.

They now say the “lone soldier” – named as such because his parents were not in Israel with him – was killed in battle with Hamas on the morning of October 7, when Neutra was stationed in a tank on the Gaza border near Nahal Oz. The tank was reportedly attacked by terrorists with RPG fire and explosive devices, and all four men in the vehicle were believed to have been taken to Gaza.

Footage from the attack, released earlier this year, shows Nimrod Cohen, Shaked Dahan, Oz Daniel and Neutra being dragged from the smoking tank by Hamas militants. Dahan’s death was confirmed in November 2023 and Daniel’s in February. According to the IDF, both young men – and Neutra – were killed on October 7. Cohen’s fate remains unknown.