IDF soldier, Long Island native confirmed dead in Oct. 7 attack
LONG ISLAND - The Israel Defense Forces are reporting that Omer Neutra, an IDF captain from Long Island, has been confirmed dead.
Neutra, a 21-year-old who served as a platoon commander, was previously believed to be alive and held hostage by Hamas, but the IDF confirmed on Monday morning that he was killed during the Oct. 7, 2023 attack.
Son taken hostage by Hamas
Tuesday will be one month since Hamas attacked Israel. Over 1,400 people were killed, with the terrorist group taking around 240 hostages into Gaza. One of them is Omer Neutra, a young Israeli soldier who grew up on Long Island. His parents, Ronen and Orna Neutra, joined Good Day New York.
In a post on X, formally Twitter, the Israel Defense Forces said: "Omer Neutra, a 21-year-old American-Israeli, served as a platoon commander in the Armored Corps. Today we can confirm, based on intelligence, that he was killed in battle on Oct. 7 and his body has been held hostage in Gaza since. May his memory be a blessing."
What happened on Oct. 7, 2023?
On Oct. 7, 2023, a barrage of rockets ricocheted as Hamas-led militants stormed Gaza and other nearby Israeli towns, killing dozens and abducting others in a surprise attack.
The Hamas’ cross-border attack in the Gaza Strip killed 1,200 Israelis – 250 others were taken hostage.
Pro-Palestinian protesters mark Oct. 7 in NYC
Pro-Palestinian protesters spread a large Palestinian flag on a street near the New York Stock Exchange early Monday afternoon, as the number of protesters grew to a blocks-long column as it marched through Manhattan streets, at one point holding a banner that read "war begets war" on the steps of the New York Public Library.
Gunmen rolled into as many as 22 locations outside the Gaza Strip, including towns and other communities as far as 15 miles from the Gaza border. In some places, they gunned down civilians and soldiers as Israel’s military scrambled to muster a response.
In response to the attacks, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared war on Hamas, vowing to inflict an "unprecedented price" as Israel launched airstrikes in Gaza.