A memorial service might be held on Lengthy Island Tuesday for an Israeli American soldier who was believed to have been taken hostage alive on Oct. 7, 2023, and is now presumed to have been killed throughout Hamas’ assault and his physique taken into Gaza, in response to the Israel army.
Omer Neutra, 21, was a New York native who enlisted within the Israeli army and was captured when Hamas attacked southern Israel. Neutra’s dad and mom, Ronen and Orna, led a public marketing campaign whereas he was considered alive for his or her son’s freedom. They spoke at protests within the U.S. and Israel, addressed the Republican Nationwide Conference this 12 months and saved up ties with the Biden administration of their campaign to safe their son’s launch.
In a press release asserting the loss of life, the army didn’t say the way it got here to the conclusion over Neutra’s destiny. He was one among seven American Israelis nonetheless held in Gaza, 4 of whom are actually stated to be lifeless. Hamas launched a video of 1, Edan Alexander, over the weekend, indicating he was nonetheless alive.
Neutra’s household launched a press release on Monday, saying they spent the final 423 residing by an “unimaginable nightmare.”
“We’re grateful that Omer embraced and lived his life in step with the values on which we raised him — defending the sanctity of life and an understanding of our dedication to at least one one other — however we by no means imagined in our worst nightmares that we might discover ourselves spending this time persevering with to battle for him on this manner.”
Monday’s memorial service is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday at Halfway Jewish Middle in Syosset. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and different elected officers are anticipated to attend.
Funeral providers for Neutra had been held Monday at Temple Chaverim in Syosset.
Hochul ordered flags lowered to half-mast on the day of Neutra’s funeral. The governor expressed grief and outrage on Monday, saying “as a guardian, I can not think about what they are going by at present.”
As lately as Sunday, Neutra’s dad and mom had been urging world leaders to win the hostages’ launch, together with at a rally in Central Park.
Days earlier, Hamas launched a hostage video of Edan Alexander, who was serving within the Israeli army when he was taken by Hamas to Gaza. Filmed beneath obvious duress, Alexander referred to as on Trump to work to barter for his freedom and that of the remaining Hamas hostages.
Hamas remains to be holding round 100 hostages inside Gaza, at the very least a 3rd of whom are believed to be lifeless. The Biden administration says it’s making one other last-ditch push for a ceasefire and the discharge of the remaining hostages, after practically a 12 months of oblique negotiations between Israel and Hamas repeatedly stalled.
Diplomats see a possible opening after final week’s ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group, an ally of Hamas that started launching rocket assaults and buying and selling fireplace with Israel the day after the Oct. 2023 assault.
The delicate ceasefire has held regardless of repeated Israeli strikes which have angered Lebanese officers however not but triggered a response from Hezbollah. Israel says it has acted to thwart potential assaults.
In late summer time, Hamas killed Hersh Goldberg-Polin, one other distinguished Israeli American hostage, together with 5 different captives, whose our bodies the Israeli army recovered.
The battle in Gaza started when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 individuals, largely civilians, and taking round 250 hostage. Some 100 captives are nonetheless held inside Gaza, round two-thirds believed to be alive.
In a submit on his Fact Social website, Trump referred to as for Palestinian militants to free all the roughly 100 Israeli hostages nonetheless held inside Gaza, round two-thirds of whom are believed to be alive.
If not, Trump stated, “These accountable might be hit tougher than anyone has been hit within the lengthy and storied Historical past of the USA of America. RELEASE THE HOSTAGES NOW!”
It was not instantly clear whether or not Trump was threatening to instantly contain the U.S. army in Israel’s ongoing marketing campaign towards Hamas in Gaza. Trump allies have stated he hopes there might be a ceasefire and hostage launch deal earlier than he returns to workplace early subsequent 12 months.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s workplace declined to touch upon Trump’s submit although President Isaac Herzog welcomed it.
“Thanks and bless you Mr. President-elect @realDonaldTrump,” he wrote on X. “All of us pray for the second we see our sisters and brothers again dwelling!”
Israel’s ongoing retaliatory offensive has killed at the very least 44,429 Palestinians, greater than half of them ladies and youngsters, in response to Gaza’s Well being Ministry, which doesn’t say how most of the lifeless had been combatants. Israel says it has killed over 17,000 militants, with out offering proof.
The battle has destroyed huge areas of the coastal enclave and displaced 90% of the inhabitants of two.3 million, typically a number of instances.
