Desperate US family told their gap year son has been taken hostage by Hamas

13 October 2023 , 23:36

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Omer Neutra took a gap year to travel to Israel and join its military (Image: Facebook)

A family's worst scenario has come true: they received formal confirmation that their college-aged son is among the more than 100 hostages taken by the Hamas militia.

An Israeli consulate arrived to the Long Island home of Ronen and Orna Neutra and delivered the upsetting news that their son, 21-year-old Omer Neutra, was among the dozens of hostages held captive by the Hamas militant group.

“Someone gave us the formal news that he was considered abducted by Hamas, but they did not give any further explanation,” Orna said. Omer decided to take a gap year after graduating high school, pausing his education to follow in his parent's footsteps. He wanted to join the Israeli army, so he could make his parents proud.

READ MORE: Women tear down posters of children kidnapped by Hamas and shout 'This is for Palestine'

Omer was forcibly taken hostage while trying to defend the border from Hamas (Facebook/Midway Jewish Center)

The high school graduate soon climbed the ranks. He started out as an officer in the Israel Defence Forces and then later soared to the rank of tank commander.

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The last time Omer and his parents spoke was Friday afternoon, which was merely hours before Hamas launched a heinous surprise attack on the Jewish nation.

Hours later at Midnight, Ronen and Orna learned more about the developing situation. Through the notifications of a news app, the parents discovered that something big was happening in southern Israel. They desperately tried to ring their son to no avail. Ronen said he saw a video of the attack two days later, in which he thought he saw Omer.

Omer is among 100 people who were taken hostage by the Hamas (Facebook)

It turned out Ronen wasn't just seeing things. Omer is seen in the footage trying to maneuver a tank before being forcibly removed by Hamas soldiers. His whereabouts are currently unknown.

Omer was described as a "good Jewish boy" by his parents who said he was the perfect example of an American. He served as the captain of his school's basketball, soccer, and volleyball teams; additionally, he was involved with several Jewish community organizations.

"He was planning to come back, and we want him back," Ronen and Orna said. The Hamas' attack began last weekend when the militia unexpectedly attacked southern Israel. The Hamas' began killing and abducting civilians in Israel during their attack, which provoked the Israeli army to fire a myriad of airstrikes upon Gaza.

The health ministry in Gaza reported that at least 1,900 people, including 614 children were killed in the devastation. The airstrikes also left more than 7,696 others wounded.

There are at least 27 Americans who died during the attack, according to the US Press Secretary Antony Blinken. US officials are still trying to identify all of the victims. Israel military officials have also been signaling that a ground invasion into Gaza is imminent.

Mataeo Smith