A New Yorker who was kidnapped by Hamas on Oct. 7 was confirmed dead on Monday, according to the Israeli military.
Omer Neutra, 21, had long been assumed to be alive, but was actually killed during the terrorist attack, with his body taken to the Gaza Strip by Hamas, the Israel Defense Forces said.
Neutra, of Plainview, Long Island, had been serving as an IDF tank commander.
“Omer was a man of values, blessed with talents and a Zionist in every sense of the word,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement.
“He immigrated to Israel to enlist in the IDF, chose a combat path and was chosen to command and lead,” he added.
Israeli authorities say there are still 62 hostages alive in Gaza. Hamas is also holding the bodies of 35 hostages who were murdered — either on Oct. 7 or while they were in captivity. In total 251 people were abducted from Israel during the terrorist attack last year.
Following confirmation of his death, Gov. Kathy Hochul ordered flags to be flown at half-staff on the day of the slain New Yorker’s funeral.
“For months we’ve prayed for the safe return of Omer Neutra and all those kidnapped by Hamas on October 7th. This horrific news shakes all New Yorkers to our core,” Hochul said in a statement.
“I’ve met with Omer’s brave family and learned so much about this incredible young man,” she added. “As we mourn this tragedy, let us continue to pray for the safe return of the remaining hostages, an end to the war without Hamas in power, and a lasting peace.”
A memorial service will be held Tuesday morning at Midway Jewish Center in Syosset. Shiva at Midway will be held Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
Neutra was stationed with the 7th Armored Brigade’s 77th Battalion near the community of Nahal Oz when Hamas ambushed his unit during the terror attack.
His parents previously told The Post that his tank was set ablaze by the terrorists, with footage showing the Hamas fighters surrounding the burning armored vehicle as they pulled four men out.
Neutra was believed to still be alive after the IDF confirmed the deaths of two of his fellow soldiers following the Oct. 7 massacre.
The fate of the fourth soldier, Sgt. Nimrod Cohen, remains unknown.
Neutra, a Knicks fan and prominent high school athlete, forewent his acceptance to Binghamton University to take a gap year in Israel in 2020, where he would go on to enlist in the IDF.
Ronen, Neutra’s father, said his son was moved by the dedication of his fellow trainees and felt it wouldn’t be right for him to leave them alone while he went back to New York to resume his studies.
Just hours before the terror attack began, Neutra was talking with his parents about his upcoming birthday.
Since the Oct. 7 attack, his mother, Orna, and Ronen have become one of the most vocal advocates calling on Israel and the US to do whatever they can to free the remaining hostages in Gaza.
Neutra was among the eight Israeli-American hostages kidnapped by Hamas during the Oct. 7 massacre who were not freed during last year’s brief hostage exchange.
He is now the fifth to be confirmed dead.
Along with Neutra, Hamas kidnapped a total 251 hostages, with 97 still believed to be in Gaza. The IDF confirmed that at least 35 of the remaining hostages are dead.
