Copyright NBC10 Boston
The remains of three hostages – including those of Long Island, New York native Omer Neutra -- have been handed over from Gaza and will be examined by forensic experts, as a fragile month-old ceasefire holds, according to Israel and comments Sunday from President Donald Trump. Neutra enlisted in the Israeli 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 for their son’s freedom. Trump said he has spoken with the family of Neutra, who served as a tank platoon commander in the Israel Defense Forces. "They were thrilled, in one sense, but in another sense, obviously, it’s not too great,” Trump said of Neutra's parents. Israeli officials have said they believed Neutra was killed in the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on southern Israel that sparked the war. A Hamas statement earlier said the remains were found Sunday in a tunnel in southern Gaza. A statement from the group Hostage Families Forum in New York on Sunday said Neutra “has finally been returned for burial in the land of Israel.” U.S. & World “For so long the Neutras lived in the impossible - waiting for certainty, holding out hope, carrying the endless ache of not knowing,” the statement added. “They will now be able to bury Omer with the dignity he deserves.” The group said Neutra has returned “to the land he loved and served. His parents' and brother's courage and resolve have touched the hearts of countless people around the world.” Neutra, who was killed at the age of 21, was born in Manhattan a month after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. The grandson of Holocaust survivors, he attended Schechter School, a conservative Jewish school on Long Island, where he was captain of the basketball, soccer and volleyball teams. His parents have said he was offered admission to the State University of New York at Binghamton, but instead deferred, took a gap year and then moved to Israel to enlist in the army. Since the ceasefire took effect on Oct. 10, Palestinian militants had released the remains of 17 hostages, with 11 remaining in Gaza, before Sunday's handover. Israel’s military said official identification of these remains would be provided to families first. Militants have released one or two bodies every few days. Israel has urged faster progress, and in certain cases it has said the remains aren’t of any hostage. Hamas has said the work is complicated by widespread devastation. Israel, in turn, has been releasing the remains of 15 Palestinians for the return of the remains of an Israeli hostage. Health officials in Gaza have struggled to identify bodies without access to DNA kits. Only 75 of the 225 Palestinian bodies returned since the ceasefire began have been identified, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which has posted photos of remains in the hope that families will recognize them. The exchange has been the central part of the initial phase of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire. The 20-point plan includes the formation of an international stabilization force of Arab and other partners that would work with Egypt and Jordan on securing Gaza’s borders and ensuring the ceasefire is respected. Funeral services for Neutra were held in Dec. 2024 in Syosset. At that time, Ronen Neutra told mourners that Israel was his son’s “true love” and said he had insisted on serving on the frontline. His unit was among the first to respond to Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack. Israel’s military offensive has killed more than 68,800 Palestinians in Gaza, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which doesn’t distinguish between civilians and combatants. The ministry, part of the Hamas-run government and staffed by medical professionals, maintains detailed records viewed as generally reliable by independent experts. Israel, which has denied accusations by a U.N. commission of inquiry and others of committing genocide in Gaza, has disputed the ministry’s figures without providing a contradicting toll. Late Sunday night, Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) wrote on X: "Omer’s loved ones have advocated fiercely for him and now, his body has finally been returned for proper burial. May his memory be a blessing."
