The Israeli military confirmed on Monday that an Israeli-American soldier previously believed to have been captured alive by Hamas during its attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, is now presumed dead.

Capt. Omer Neutra, 21, a New York native and Israeli military soldier, was captured as Hamas militants attacked southern Israel. He was previously thought to have been held hostage since then, but officials said he was believed to have been killed on the day of the Hamas attack and his body subsequently taken to the Gaza Strip.

Believing their son was still alive, the soldier’s parents, Ronen and Orna Neutra, waged a public campaign for more than a year, speaking at rallies in Israel and the United States, addressing the Republican National Convention and keeping in touch with the Republican National Convention Biden administration continued trying to secure his release.

How many Israeli hostages are still missing?

Hamas still holds about 100 hostages in the Gaza Strip, at least a third of whom are believed to be dead. The Biden administration is again pushing for a ceasefire and the release of remaining prisoners after nearly a year of stalled negotiations between Israel and Hamas.

The situation remains grim, but diplomats see a glimmer of hope following a recent ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, the Hamas-allied militant group based in Lebanon.

Since the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah came into effect, Israel has carried out several retaliatory strikes in Lebanon, claiming that Hezbollah violated the agreement.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar rejected allegations that Israel violated the ceasefire, claiming that Israel was only responding to violations by Hezbollah.

Hamas attack leaves destruction behind

The Oct. 7 attack marked the start of the current conflict, as Hamas-led militants stormed southern Israel, killing about 1,200 civilians and taking about 250 hostages.

According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, Israel’s retaliatory offensive has caused over 44,429 Palestinian deaths, with more than half of the victims being women and children. Israel claims to have killed over 17,000 militants but has provided no evidence to support these figures. The war has displaced 90 percent of Gaza’s population, often multiple times.

Neutra’s parents continue their campaign amid the hostage crisis

Neutras’ public campaign, initially aimed at the release of her son, has become part of the larger context of efforts to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas.

A video released by Hamas last weekend showed another American Israeli, Edan Alexander, alive. However, the ongoing conflict continues to put many hostages at risk. Although proposals for a ceasefire were put forward last month, the Israeli offensive in Gaza is still active and the death toll continues to rise.

This article contains additional reporting from The Associated Press