On Sunday, Hamas delivered the remains of three Israeli soldiers who were killed during their attack on October 7, 2023. As they returned to Gaza, they brought the bodies back, likely intending to use them in negotiations.
Israeli officials identified one of the bodies as Colonel Assaf Hamami, along with Omer Neutra and Staff Sergeant Oz Daniel. Notably, Neutra held dual citizenship in Israel and the U.S., a detail President Donald Trump confirmed on Sunday night.
President Trump stated, “We welcomed Neutra, who is from New York, from the United States and spoke with his parents.” This was shared with reporters aboard Air Force One.
The president remarked, “They’re excited in some ways, but obviously not so great in other ways. We’re very happy to have done it. We have three bodies. We’ve recovered the three bodies that they found today and we’re looking for the rest.”
The Neutra family expressed gratitude, saying, “They will be able to bury Omer with the dignity he deserves. Omer has returned to the land he loved and served. The courage and determination of his parents and siblings touched the hearts of countless people around the world.”
At 21, Omer Neutra grew up in Plainview, Long Island, as the grandson of Holocaust survivors. After completing high school, he chose to serve a year with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), working as a tank commander during the conflict.
Staff Sergeant Oz Daniel, 19, was also part of the same tank crew and lost his life during the attack. Another crew member, Sergeant Sheikh Dahan, was killed as well; his remains were recovered in August 2024. Nimrod Cohen, the fourth member, was rescued alive during a previous hostage exchange.
Neutra was attacked by rocket-propelled grenades during the skirmish. Videos circulating online depicted celebrations among Gazans around a burning tank, while Cohen was retrieved from the wreckage alive.
The details surrounding Neutra’s death surfaced over a year later due to Hamas’s efforts to keep hostages’ status from the public, a move against international humanitarian law. His parents have since been vocal advocates for the rights of hostages, even speaking at the 2024 Republican National Convention. In his hometown, streets and parks have been named in his honor.
The U.S. Department of State acknowledged that 46 American citizens were killed during the October 7 attack, with an additional 12 Americans among the 256 hostages taken by Hamas.
Colonel Hamami, aged 40, was the Southern Gaza Brigade commander at the time of the attack. He was in a base with his young son when violence broke out, leaving him to rush into battle from which he would not return. The IDF confirmed his death eight weeks later.
Hamami is survived by a wife and three children, and a funeral took place in December 2023, even without his remains present.
At the funeral, a general spoke of Hamami’s character, noting, “How you fought and fell defined who you were. Family was so important to you.” His wife, Safir, expressed her profound grief but also spoke of her pride in his military commitment.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office stated the remains returned by Hamas were sent to Israel, where they were honored at a military ceremony before being identified positively at the National Forensic Center.
Netanyahu met with the family of Col. Assaf Hamami on Monday and planned to also visit the families of Daniel and Neutra later that day.
The prime minister’s office extended condolences to the families of the deceased hostages, acknowledging their shared sorrow.
