IDF says abductee Omer Neutra murdered by Gazan terrorists
Captain Neutra, who was 21 years old, was believed to be kidnapped and murdered, although this was uncertain until now
The Israel Defense Forces said on Monday that Captain Omer Neutra, a lone soldier from New York and tank commader in the 7th Armored Brigade, was killed after being abducted by Gazan terrorists on October 7, 2023.
Neutra, who was 21 years old, was believed to be kidnapped and murdered, although this was uncertain. His was reclassified after a committee of experts gathering evidence concluded that he was killed during the terrorist onslaught.
He was murdered along with the other soldiers in his tank – Shaked Dahan, Oz Daniel, and Nimrod Cohen.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu conveyed to the bereaved family on X. "My wife Sarah and I express our condolences from the depths of our hearts to the parents and family of Captain Omer Neutra, the heroic armored corps officer, with the bitter news of his fall on October 7th," he eulogized.
Netanyahu praised him for immigrating to Israel to serve in a combat role, and once there was selected to command and lead.
"We will not rest and we will not be quiet until we bring them home to be buried in Israel, and we will continue to act decisively and without faltering until we return all of our kidnapped - the living and the fallen. May his memory be blessed."
Neutra was born and raised in the US, and he is an American citizen. He lived in Kibbutz Afikim, and chose to move to Israel as a lone soldier and enlist in the Armored Corps, after a preparatory year within the Garin Tzabar program. He loved sports, played football, basketball, and volleyball, and was the captain of his school sports teams. His family and friends said he was a warm, optimistic, and people-loving man who "lights up the room the moment he enters it."