Omer Maxim Neutra, an American-Israeli soldier, was among those killed on Oct. 7, 2023, Israel said on Monday.
Omer Maxim Neutra, an American-Israeli soldier, was among those killed on Oct. 7, 2023, as Hamas terrorists poured into southern Israel, officials said on Monday.
Neutra, 21, had been believed to have been taken alive to Gaza as a hostage, but the Israel Defense Forces on Monday said he was instead one of the about 1,200 killed during the surprise attack.
The soldier, who was from New York, had been a tank platoon commander in Israel’s 7th Armored Brigade’s 77th Battalion.
« Omer was a man of values, blessed with talents and a Zionist in every aspect of his being », Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement, which he released with his wife, Sara. « He immigrated to Israel to enlist in the IDF, chose a combat path and was chosen to command and lead. »
Netanyahu said Neutra, who was a captain, had « fought fiercely » as he led Israeli forces « to defend the settlements surrounding Gaza, until he fell. »
In a statement, the Neutra family said it’s « deeply grieving.
