OAN Staff Blake Wolf
12:13 PM – Monday, November 3, 2025
President Donald Trump confirmed that the remains of U.S.-Israeli citizen Omer Neutra were returned to Israel by Hamas on Sunday, along with the remains of two other hostages.
Neutra, a Long Island native and an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) captain, was murdered by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023, when the terrorist group launched an attack that led to the over two-year war.
“We got Neutra, from New York, from the United States and I spoke to his parents,” President Trump announced aboard Air Force One on his way back to Washington, D.C.
“They’re thrilled in one sense, but in another sense, obviously, not too great. We’re very happy to have done it. We have three. We got three bodies back today that they found, and we’re looking for the remainder,” the president added.
Meanwhile, representatives for Neutra’s family released a statement, proclaiming that they “will now be able to bury Omer with the dignity he deserves.”
“Omer 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.”
After graduating from high school, Neutra took a gap year to serve in the IDF. He planned to attend college at Binghamton University afterward.
“Both of his grandparents are Holocaust survivors,” stated Oma Neutra, Omer’s mother. “So the ethos of needing to have a strong Jewish state is something that really resonated with him.”
While it was initially believed that Neutra was captured alive on October 7th, it was later revealed in December 2024 by Israeli authorities that he was killed during the attack. His body was smuggled to Gaza by Hamas.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed that Israeli forces have received the remains of two other hostages, Asaf Hamami and Oz Daniel, who had been held by the terrorist group. The two men were also Israeli soldiers killed by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023, and their bodies were taken to Gaza.
“The Government of Israel shares in the profound grief of the Hamami, Neutra, and Daniel families, and all of the families of the fallen hostages,” the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office wrote in a statement.
The prime minister’s office added that Israel is “determined, committed and working tirelessly” to return the remaining deceased hostages while demanding Hamas “fulfill its commitments to the mediators and return them as part of the implementation of the agreement.”
The return of the deceased hostages comes as Israel has criticized Hamas for failing to immediately return all of the deceased hostages, arguing that the failure to do so violates the ceasefire agreement. Hamas claims that the group is still searching for the remains, casting doubt on whether the peace agreement will stick.
The remains of eight deceased hostages are still in Gaza.
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