CNN
—

The Israeli military said on Monday that Omer Maxim Neutra, an American-Israeli citizen previously believed to be alive and being held hostage in Gaza, was killed in the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023.

Neutra, 21, was serving as an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) tank commander at the time of the attack, the IDF said, adding that Neutra’s body was still being held hostage in Gaza.

“Omer loved sports, played soccer, basketball and volleyball and was captain of his school’s sports teams,” said a statement from the Hostages and Missing Families Forum. “Family and friends described him as a warm, optimistic and caring person who ‘lights up the room the moment he walks in’.”

Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz said in a statement that Neutra “fell in a heroic battle near Nir Oz on October 7.”

Nir Oz, a small kibbutz near Gaza in southern Israel, was one of the communities hardest hit by the October 7 terrorist attacks. One in four residents was murdered or kidnapped.

Neutra was one of seven American citizens held in Gaza. Four, including Neutra, have now been declared dead, three are still believed to be alive.