Mother and father of Hamas hostage Omer Neutra concern he’ll solely come dwelling in a physique bag
The dad and mom of a younger New York man who was kidnapped by Hamas are afraid their son will solely return dwelling in a physique bag because the battle enters its second 12 months.
Omer Neutra, 22, of Plainview, was captured close to his Israel Protection Forces base on Oct. 7, simply hours after talking together with his dad and mom about his upcoming birthday.
Come Oct. 14, Omer could have spent two birthdays as a hostage in Gaza, a heartbreaking actuality plaguing his dad and mom, Ronen and Orna Neutra, who don’t know when or how they are going to be reunited with their son.
“Is it in physique baggage? Is it in three years?” Ronen advised The Submit.
“We’ve seen they’re coming in physique baggage,” he added, referencing the six hostages who had been killed by Hamas in August. “If we don’t hurry, that’s what we’re gonna get.”
Ronen and Orna have spent the final 12 months united with the households of the opposite six People nonetheless caught in Gaza, all advocating in Jerusalem and Washington for his or her governments to assist free their family members.
Following Omer’s abduction, Orna remembered how everybody assured her that her son could be among the many first hostages freed given his standing as an American citizen.
“Anybody who heard that he’s American was like, ‘Oh, you’re so fortunate, they’re going to be out actually quickly,’” she recalled.
Sadly, Orna mentioned Hamas confirmed no favoritism with its 251 hostages, with the terrorist group electing to kill Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin earlier than Israeli troops might get to him and 5 different hostages in August.
“Bullet to the top, identical to the remainder of them, simple, horrible,” Ronen mentioned. “So we all know they’re not protected. As a result of they’re People, they get no particular advantages.”
As they discover themselves navigating an on-going nightmare, Ronen mentioned it was necessary for him and his spouse to remain constructive and imagine of their son, who he described because the “most pleasant man on Earth.”
The apprehensive father mentioned he calms himself by fascinated with Omer and the way he has seemingly gained the belief of his captors by chatting them up and enjoying board video games with them.
Ronen hopes his son can be utilizing his social expertise to maintain the opposite hostages round him in good spirits as they endure unknown hardships below Hamas’ watch.
“We prefer to assume he’s with different hostages, and he’s type of preserving the spirit of all people [up], making silly jokes and speaking NBA and figures and no matter is in his head to maintain himself busy and the opposite ones round him,” Ronen mentioned.
Hope is what’s in the end driving the Neutras ahead as they solemnly mark Omer’s 366th day in captivity, with the dad and mom dashing to interview after interview on Oct. 7 to proceed advocating for his or her son.
A reunion for the household, nevertheless, could not come quickly because the negotiations between Israel and Hamas are frozen amid an ongoing escalation of assaults between the Jewish state and Iran and its terror proxies.
Whereas the Biden administration says it’s persevering with to push for a hostage trade deal, neither Israel nor Hamas have proven any eagerness to maneuver ahead with the proposal – as each accuse the opposite of attempting to alter the phrases of the cease-fire.
“Our child is a bargaining chip on this geopolitical nightmare, and we, the households, we’re simply floating on this wave,” Orna mentioned. “We’re attempting to not sink.”
