Suozzi Statement on the Announcement of the Death of Omer Neutra
December 2, 2024
Glen Cove, NY - Today, Congressman Tom Suozzi (D - Long Island, Queens) issued the following statement in response to the Israeli military's announcement that Omer Neutra, from Plainview, who was initially thought to have been taken alive by Hamas during the terror attack on October 7, 2023, was, in fact, killed that day.
“Sadly, it was confirmed this morning that Omer Neutra of Plainview was killed on October 7th, 2023. My heartfelt condolences to my friends Ronen and Orna and Omer’s brother Daniel.
This family has soldiered on through alternating deep sorrow and hopefulness, crushing anxiety and steely determination… now they must face the deep grief of the loss of their son and brother.
I have prayed for Omer and his family, and I ask all of you to join me in holding the Neutra family close as they seek to find peace and meaning in this tragedy.”
The New York native from Plainview, Long Island, Omer Neutra was presumed to be one of 251 hostages taken during the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023. On Monday, December 2, 2024, the Israeli military announced that Omer Neutra had, in fact, been killed on October 7, 2023. Another 1,200 men, women, and children were killed in the attacks that day.
Neutra moved to Israel when he was 18 to join the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) during a gap year, his parents, Orna and Ronen, said in a video shared by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).
A member of the IDF’s tank brigade, he was protecting a village on Israel’s southern border on the day of the attacks.
Neutra graduated from the Schechter School of Long Island in Williston Park. An avid athlete, he captained the basketball, volleyball, and soccer teams and led his youth group, USY.
In December 2023, in Tel Aviv, Suozzi met with Omer's parents, constituents Ronen and Orna Neutra from Plainview. Ronen and Orna Neutra were Suozzi's guests at President Joe Biden’s 2024 State of the Union Address.
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