Omer Neutra's family meets with President Donald Trump on second anniversary of October 7 attack on Israel
The Neutra family meets with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office on Tuesday. Credit: White House
WASHINGTON — The family of Omer Neutra, the Plainview-raised Israeli American soldier whose body remains in Hamas custody, met with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office on Tuesday.
The Neutras marked the second anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel by meeting with top Trump administration officials and calling for the release of their son’s body.
"Unfortunately, our son is one of the deceased hostages," his mother, Orna Neutra, said to reporters outside of the West Wing in brief remarks, noting there are still living hostages yet to be released by Hamas.
Orna, her husband Ronen, and their son Daniel attended the meeting with Trump, wearing a black shirt featuring a photo of Omer Neutra, who was 21 at the time of the attack. Under his photo read the words "Our Hero."
For more than a year, the family held onto hope that Neutra would be found and released among the other Israeli captives, but last December Israeli defense officials announced he was killed during the attack while serving as a tank platoon commander.
The Israel Defense Forces said in a statement at the time that Neutra’s body remained in Hamas custody. The family and the U.S. government have demanded the release of his body and those of others that Hamas still possesses.
Hamas and other groups killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in the Oct. 7 attack on Israel, according to the Israeli government. The number of Palestinians killed by Israel's ongoing ground and air campaign in Gaza has exceeded 67,000, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
Trump, speaking to reporters earlier in the day, said he was hopeful about striking a peace deal in Gaza to end the bloodshed. Part of the deal calls for the release of all hostages and hostage bodies.
"We are very close to making a deal on the Middle East that will bring peace to the Middle East after all of these years," Trump said.
Laura Figueroa Hernandez is the White House correspondent and previously covered New York City politics and government. She joined Newsday in 2012 after covering state and local politics for The Miami Herald.
My Little Pony, Furby making a comeback this holiday season NewsdayTV's Macy Egeland and Newsday family writer Beth Whitehouse have your look at the hottest toys this holiday season.
My Little Pony, Furby making a comeback this holiday season NewsdayTV's Macy Egeland and Newsday family writer Beth Whitehouse have your look at the hottest toys this holiday season.
