Plainview–Born IDF Captain’s Remains Returned To Israel; Community Mourns Omer Neutra

By Michael Mashburn From Daily Voice

After 759 days of uncertainty, the remains of Capt. Omer Neutra — a 21-year-old from Long Island who served in the IDF — have been returned to Israel.

Hamas transferred the remains of three hostages on Sunday, Nov. 2, and confirmed one to be Capt. Omer Neutra, according to the World Jewish Congress.

Neutra, of Plainview, was abducted and killed during the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, one of the deadliest days in the nation’s history. The assault left more than 1,200 people dead—mostly civilians—and saw around 250 others taken hostage into Gaza.

For more than a year, Neutra’s family clung to hope that their son might still be alive. The Israeli government confirmed his death in December 2024, as Daily Voice reported.

“For more than 2 years, the Neutras lived in the impossible — waiting for certainty, holding out hope, carrying the endless ache of not knowing, and fighting with every fiber of their beings to bring Omer home,” Camp Young Judaea Sprout Lake, a Jewish sleepaway camp in the Hudson Valley, wrote on Facebook.

“As they wrote in their Jerusalem Post OpEd they ‘fought with everything we have for what no parent should ever have to fight for.’”

Neutra, who grew up in Plainview and graduated from the Schechter School of Long Island, served as a tank platoon commander in the IDF’s 7th Armored Brigade.

“Omer is on Israeli soil,” his father, Ronen Neutra, was quoted by World Jewish Congress as saying. “Finally. So much pain and so much relief.”

Omer Neutra.

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Elected leaders noted the family’s long fight to bring him home. Gov. Kathy Hochul said his loved ones “have advocated fiercely for him and now, his body has finally been returned for proper burial.” Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand said she was relieved his body was returned so “his loved ones can lay him to rest with dignity.”

New York Attorney General Letitia James said she was relieved the family can give him the burial he deserves. President Donald Trump said he spoke with Neutra’s family and called the return of his remains “very happy to have it done,” while acknowledging their grief.

Neutra’s life and leadership shaped institutions across New York and Israel. The Schechter School of Long Island, where Neutra was an honor student and captain of the basketball, soccer, and volleyball teams, is creating an annual Omer Neutra Legacy Day that will honor two graduating seniors for scholarship and leadership, school officials said.

In Plainview, a park now bears his name, a street near the Mid-Island JCC has been renamed in his honor, and a community walkathon was held in his memory.

Neutra, who moved to Israel at 18 to serve, was remembered as a driven leader who intended to return to the United States for college. His parents, Orna and Ronen, spent the last two years keeping his memory at the forefront and pressing for the return of all hostages.

“They will now be able to bury Omer with the dignity he deserves,” family representatives said, adding that his parents’ and brother’s resolve “touched the hearts of countless people around the world.”

A gathering in Neutra’s honor is scheduled for 6 p.m. Monday, Nov. 3, at Columbus Circle in Manhattan.