The remains of Omer Neutra, a Plainview native slain by Hamas militants on Oct. 7, 2023, have been returned to Israel.
The news was shared by Oyster Bay Supervisor Joe Saladino, Rep. Tom Suozzi, the 
BringOmerHome Instagram page as well AIPAC and the Midway Jewish Center, the family's synagogue. 
 
“For years, the Neutra family lived in uncertainty, holding onto hope while enduring unimaginable pain. Their courage and resolve in fighting for what no parent should ever face has touched countless hearts worldwide,” Saladino wrote.
Neutra, 21, was serving as a tank commander in the Israeli military on Oct. 7, when Hamas militants launched an attack that killed nearly 1,200 people and took another 250 people hostage.
Last December, the Israeli military said 
new intel revealed Neutra was killed during the attack and militants took his body into Gaza.
 
[twitter]https://twitter.com/RepTomSuozzi/status/1985141747291132295[/twitter]
	Rabbi Joel Levenson, of Midway Jewish Center, said that there is "relief" but also "renewed pain." 
Levenson knew Neutra for years and said he was involved in youth groups at the synagogue. 
"We hope that as future generations of kids grow up here, they’ll learn his name and his story and continue to be inspired by how he lived and his dedication and his values," the rabbi said. 
The family plans on burying Neutra in Israel in the coming days.