Ronen and Orna Neutra, Omer's parents
Ronen and Orna Neutra, Omer's parentsCourtesy of Kan 11 News

Ronen and Orna Neutra, the parents of IDF soldier Omer Neutra who was kidnapped on October 7, 2023, spoke in an interview with Kan 11 News about the message they received about a month ago, stating that new intelligence received by the IDF confirmed that their son was killed on the morning of the attack.

"It's like a bubble that burst," the parents said. "We fought for him and thought he was alive. Our fight now is much less sad."

From tank communication recordings that were revealed to the family, they estimate that their son, who was the commander of a tank platoon in Battalion 77 of the 7th Brigade, suffocated inside the tank while trying to protect his soldiers.

Neutra’s tank caught fire from explosives and RPG fire near an outpost located adjacent to Kibbutz Nir Oz, with dozens of Hamas terrorists waiting nearby. The image of the tank burning and the terrorists pulling the soldiers out became one of the symbols of the failure of October 7.

In the interview, the parents revealed that they met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the first night of Hanukkah, and demanded an end to the war. "For us, any deal should bring home every last hostage. No one should be left behind," they said.