(AP) The Israeli military said Monday an Israeli-American soldier who was believed to have been taken hostage alive on Oct. 7, 2023 was now presumed to have been killed during Hamas’ attack and his body taken into Gaza.
Omer Neutra, 21, was a New York native who enlisted in the military and was captured when Hamas attacked southern Israel.
Neutra’s parents, Ronen and Orna, led a public campaign while he was thought to be alive to secure their son’s release.
They spoke at protests in the U.S. and Israel, addressed the Republican National Convention this year and kept up ties with the Biden administration.
In a statement announcing the death, the military did not say how it came to the conclusion.
Neutra was one of seven American-Israelis still held in Gaza, four of whom are believed to be dead.
Hamas released a video of one, Edan Alexander, over the weekend, indicating he was still alive.
In late summer, Hamas killed Hersh Goldberg-Polin, another prominent Israeli-American hostage, along with five other captives.
The war in Gaza began when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking around 250 hostage.
Some 100 captives are still held inside Gaza, around two-thirds believed to be alive.