Parents of New Yorker Omer Neutra, taken hostage in Gaza a year ago, now fear he will only come home in a body bag
The parents of a young New York man who was kidnapped by Hamas are afraid their son will only return home in a body bag as the war enters its second year.Omer Neutra, 22, of Plainview, was captured near his Israel Defense Forces base on Oct.7, just hours after speaking with his parents about his upcoming birthday.
Come Oct.14, Omer will have spent two birthdays as a hostage in Gaza, a heartbreaking reality plaguing his parents, Ronen and Orna Neutra, who don’t know when or how they will be reunited with their son.
“Is it in body bags? Is it in three years?” Ronen told The Post.“We’ve seen they’re coming in body bags,” he added, referencing the six hostages who were killed by Hamas in August.“If we don’t hurry, that’s what we’re gonna get.” Ronen and Orna have spent the last year united with the families of the other six Americans still stuck in Gaza, all advocating in Jerusalem and Washington for their governments to help free their loved ones.
Following Omer’s abduction, Orna remembered how everyone assured her that her son would be among the first hostages freed given his status as an American citizen.“Anyone who heard that he’s American was like, ‘Oh, you’re so lucky, they’re going to be out really soon,’” she recalled.
Unfortunately, Orna said Hamas showed no favoritism with its 251 hostages, with the terrorist group electing to kill Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin before Israeli troops could get to him and five other hostages in August.“Bullet to the head, just like the rest of them, easy, terrible,” Ronen said.
“So we know they’re not protected.Because they’re Americans, they get no special benefits.”As they find themselves navigating an on-going nightmare, Ronen said it was important for him and his wife to stay positive and believe in their son, who he described as the “most friendly guy on Earth.” The worried father said he calms himself by thinking about Omer and how he has likely gained...