American-Israeli soldier held hostage in Gaza was ‘killed on October 7,’ Israel says

The Israeli military said 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, served as a tank platoon commander in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) during the time of the attack, the IDF said, adding that Neutra’s body is still being held hostage 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.’” Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz said in a statement that 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 was one of seven American citizens held in Gaza. Four, including Neutra, have now been pronounced dead, with three believed to be alive..