From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, December 3, 2024
In Tel Aviv, relatives of slain hostage Omer Neutra mourn him, play radio recording of his voice
Jessica Steinberg, The Times of Israel's culture and lifestyles editor, covers the Sabra scene from south to north and back to the center
Hundreds gather at Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square for the weekly program for the hostages, dubbed Singing for their Return, dedicated this week to Omer Neutra.
The IDF notified Neutra’s family this week that the Israeli-American, for months thought to be a hostage, was killed during Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack and his body has been held in Gaza ever since.
The program begins with a recording from an Army Radio program from several years ago in which Omer’s voice is heard as he is called in to dedicate a song to his tank unit.
Neutra was last seen injured, lying next to the tank that he commanded, at the Gaza border on the morning of the October 7 onslaught.
“It’s a small consolation that he didn’t experience long days in captivity,” says his aunt, Genia Tzohar, weeping.
“It’s sad to me that the nation of Israel that heard so much about you and waited to meet you, won’t get to do that,” she says, as she salutes him. “I hope and pray we will bring you back for burial in your beloved Israel.”
Tamar Tzohar, Neutra’s grandmother, speaks about her grandson’s early years, being born and raised in New York by his Israeli parents.
She relates that his parents spoke to Omer on October 6, 2023 — a day before he was killed — and he told them, after weeks of dealing with a steady stream of Hamas activity at the border with Gaza, that his unit had been told they could lower their alertness and could have a more relaxed weekend.
“We now have to fight to get Omer’s body back home,” says Tzohar.
