Biden ‘devasted and outraged’ to learn of death of US-Israeli hostage Omer Neutra on October 7

Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief

File - US President Joe Biden meets at the White House with relatives of American hostages held by terrorists in Gaza, December 13, 2023 (White House)
File - US President Joe Biden meets at the White House with relatives of American hostages held by terrorists in Gaza, December 13, 2023 (White House)

US President Joe Biden says he is “devastated and outraged” to learn of the death of American-Israeli hostage Omer Neutra, who the IDF confirmed this morning was killed during Hamas’s October 7, 2023, onslaught and whose body is still being held in Gaza.

“A Long Island native, Omer planned to return to the United States for college. He dreamed of dedicating himself to building peace,” Biden says in a statement.

The president recalls meeting Omer’s parents last month at the White House where they again shared their story.

“They told me how Omer’s grandparents were Holocaust survivors and how their family’s strength and resilience has been carried through the generations,” Biden says.

The US president says his entire country is grieving with the Neutras.

“To all the families of those still held hostage: We see you. We are with you. And I will not stop working to bring your loved ones back home where they belong,” Biden pledges.

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