The Prime Minister’s Office announced that the bodies of Lt. Col. Asaf Hamami, Capt. Omer Neutra, and Sgt. Oz Daniel have been identified. The families were informed following the identification process at the National Center of Forensic Medicine.
“The government of Israel shares in the deep sorrow of the Hamami, Neutra, and Daniel families, and of all the families of the fallen hostages,” the statement read. “The government and all state agencies remain determined and fully committed to bringing home all our fallen hostages for proper burial in Israel.”
Neutra's father, Ronen, announced overnight Sunday that his son “is finally on Israeli soil.” Quoting the biblical verse, he said: “There is hope for your future, declares the Lord, and your children shall return to their borders. So much pain, and such relief.” Earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters that Hamas had handed Neutra’s body back to Israel and added that he had spoken with Neutra’s parents.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum in New York released a statement saying, “With heavy hearts and a deep sense of relief, we share the news that Capt. Omer Neutra has finally been returned for burial in the Land of Israel. For so long, the Neutra family lived in the unbearable — waiting for certainty, clinging to hope, bearing the endless pain of not knowing. Now they can lay Omer to rest with the honor he deserves. Omer has returned to the land he loved and served. The courage and determination of his parents and brother have touched countless people around the world. May Omer’s memory be a blessing, and may his family be comforted among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.”
Neutra, 22, from Long Island, commanded Tank No. 3 on the morning of October 7. He and his crew — Nimrod Cohen, Oz Daniel, and Shaked Dahan — were stationed at the “White House” outpost near Nir Oz. When the Hamas attack began, the crew rushed to their tank and began fighting. The vehicle apparently malfunctioned and was hit shortly after. The image of the burning tank that appeared on Hamas social media that morning was theirs — the only tank from which the entire crew was taken hostage.
For more than a year, Neutra’s family did not know what had happened to him until December 2024, when they were informed that he had been killed that same day. Nimrod Cohen, the only survivor from the crew, returned to Israel after the war.
Lt. Col. Asaf Hamami of Kiryat Ono began his IDF service in the Givati Brigade. In 2010, he received the IDF Chief of Staff’s Award for Excellence and continued to rise through the ranks. From 2016 to 2018, he commanded the Tzabar Battalion; from 2018 to 2020, he led the Commando Brigade training base; and between 2020 and 2022, he served as commander of the Negev Brigade.
In 2022, Hamami was appointed commander of the Southern Brigade in the Gaza Division. On October 7, he fell in battle at Kibbutz Nirim and was taken hostage along with Sgt. Tomer Yaakov Mizrahi and Sgt. Kiril Brodski, his command staff soldiers, whose bodies have since been returned for burial.
Hamami was 40 years old. He is survived by his parents, Klara and Ilan, his brother Eitan, his wife Sapir, and their three children — Ela, Alon, and Arbel.
Sgt. Oz Daniel, who also fought in Neutra’s crew, initially escaped the tank on foot and continued to fight his captors until the very end. About four months after his abduction, he was declared fallen after 141 days of uncertainty. Daniel, 19, is survived by his parents, Merav and Amir, and his twin sister, Hadar.
First published: 08:01, 11.03.25