More than four months after Hamas's Oct. 7 attack on Israel, the family of an American hostage in the Gaza Strip has told the Daily Caller News Foundation that with each passing day, they hope to secure his release and the release of all hostages. is becoming increasingly urgent, he said.

Hamas launched a brutal terrorist attack against Israel on October 7, killing more than 1,200 civilians and kidnapping many people, including American citizens. Omer Neutra, a 22-year-old American citizen, is suspected of being one of the remaining American hostages in Gaza. His parents, Ronen and Orna Neutra, who hold dual U.S. and Israeli citizenship, told DCNF that they are concerned about their son's situation and are doing everything they can to bring him home. (Related article: Israel rescues two hostages from Hamas during night raid in Gaza)

“We have no day and night… everything becomes very blurry for us,” Omer's father, Ronen Neutra, told DCNF. “We are very scared. There were no signs of life, we didn't know his condition, and medical teams, including the Red Cross, were not allowed to visit him and the rest of the hostages for 130 days. Who knows what the conditions are like? We have no idea… So how should we feel? We don't know. I mean, we're so scared and we're so nervous.”

Hamas kidnapped more than 240 civilians on October 7, including Israeli citizens, foreigners, and American citizens. More than 100 hostages have since been freed, either through a temporary cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas or through an IDF rescue operation, but about 130 remain. according to To the Wall Street Journal.

Various agencies of the U.S. government, including the White House National Security Council and the State Department, are working with Israel and international allies to secure the release of all hostages through a temporary ceasefire agreement with Hamas. A State Department spokesperson told DCNF that the agency is currently “tracking” the six missing American hostages in the Gaza Strip and is “in regular contact” with their families.

“We are working diligently with Egypt and Qatar on proposals to achieve their release. We have also met with their families multiple times,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said. Said at a press conference on Tuesday. “The suffering they face simply by not knowing or not knowing the fate of their loved one is beyond our imagination.”

“How was he always?”

Omer is a dual citizen of the United States and Israel and is originally from New York. Ronen and Orna said Omer was always considered a natural leader throughout his life, holding captaincy positions on various sports teams and serving as president of the United Synagogue Youth in the state metropolitan area. That's what it means.

“He's always smiling,” Orna told DCNF. “People naturally gravitate toward him and he breaks the ice wherever he goes. That's what he's always been.”

According to Ronen and Orna, Omer postponed attending college for a year and moved to Israel to deepen his Jewish and Israeli roots. He ultimately felt called to serve in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Omer was serving as an IDF tank commander near the Gaza border when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7. Terrorists fired a rocket-propelled grenade at his tank and subsequently took him prisoner. according to In the New York Times.

Mr. Ronen and Mr. Orna tried to contact Mr. Omer shortly after the Oct. 7 attack, but he did not respond. The next day, he was informed by the Israeli consulate in New York that his son was among the hostages taken back to Gaza by Hamas, Politico reported. report.

Ronen and Orna helped Omer through a variety of efforts, including meeting with federal officials and members of Congress, holding rallies to support the hostages, and conducting interviews to raise awareness about their son. We are working hard every day to secure his release. For them, the release of Omer and the remaining hostages is their most urgent priority.

“Most of the time, we don't have time to think about ourselves or commiserate about the situation or anything else,” Ronen told DCNF. “We are actively doing everything we can to come to some kind of agreement and assist the various parties here.”

Orna Neutra and Ronen Neutra hold up a poster of their son Omer during a bipartisan press conference at the Capitol in Washington, DC, on January 17, 2024. (Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP, Getty (via Images)

Ronan and Orna claim that the ongoing war in Gaza is entirely the fault of Hamas, which continues to block negotiations and burrow into the civilian population for protection. Without Hamas' brutal rule in the region, Gaza and the Palestinian people could prosper, they said.

“Eliminate Hamas and return the hostages. [and] Israel will stop immediately,” Ronen told DCNF. “Hamas is holding hostage not only our son, but also our own people.”

“Fight to survive”

The status of the remaining hostages is unknown. According to the WSJ, Israel determined that 30 to 50 of the 130 hostages were likely killed. As of December, the United States believed there were eight American hostages in Gaza, but by year's end two were reported dead.

A new agreement is currently being negotiated between Israel and Hamas through negotiators from the United States, Qatar, and Egypt. The deal has so far stalled, with Israel and Hamas at odds over what terms should be included in the deal. Hamas has demanded a full ceasefire in exchange for the hostages, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected the offer, calling it “delusional.” according to To Bloomberg. (Related: Hamas commander held hostage at hospital killed, IDF says)

“I feel like Hamas is holding the entire Western world hostage,” Orna told DCNF. “They are holding our children captive. We are definitely hostages. And everyone’s hands are tied…Hamas [has a] An abnormal sense of entitlement at this point, and abnormal demands and demands. ”

The family also expressed frustration with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who refused to send a delegation to Egypt earlier this week for consultations with hostage negotiators. According to Bloomberg, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is refraining from further negotiations until Hamas compromises on some of the tougher terms of the agreement.

“How can you sign a contract without negotiating? It's very frustrating for us,” Ronen told DCNF. “We are aware that the US government is pressuring Prime Minister Netanyahu to get involved. We don't know what his reasoning is. [is]”

While Mr. Ronen and Mr. Orna expressed gratitude for the U.S. effort, they questioned whether the government's strategy of releasing hostages through an agreement between Israel and Hamas would be effective.

“We keep asking whether this assumption is correct. Should we challenge this?” Ronen told DCNF.

A family spokesperson said Ronen and Orna are in regular contact with the State Department, as well as the FBI and White House National Security Council Counsel Jake Sullivan and his team about Omer's situation.

“We have open communication weekly with the teams that have been assembled for each American hostage family,” Ronen told DCNF. “We meet with the National Security Advisor or his team approximately every two weeks to get updates, participate in discussions, and implement their ideas.”

They cited the worrying rise in anti-Semitism since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, calling it an “easy route to hate.” Ronen and Orna are both descendants of Holocaust survivors; according to To the Washington Examiner. They encouraged Israel's opponents to study the country's history and the abuses of power by Hamas and the Palestinian Authority in Gaza.

“Israel has been fighting for survival ever since. [its founding]… They still have to fight to survive,” Orna told DCNF. “Take time to consider the problem before you take a stance on it.”

Ronen and Orna continue to do everything in their power to bring Omer and the remaining hostages home.

“It's time. It's super urgent,” Ronen told DCNF. “Every day that they delay reaching an agreement is a death sentence for some of them.”

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