Israel Receives Remains of Three Hostages from Gaza — IDs Include Israeli‑American Capt. Omer Neutra

Three more sets of remains transferred to Israel for identification

On Sunday, Israel received the remains of three people who had been held in Gaza. The International Committee of the Red Cross transferred the bodies to Israel, and they were taken to the national forensics laboratory for formal identification.

U.S. President Donald Trump said one of the deceased was Israeli‑American Capt. Omer Neutra, 21, a tank platoon commander in the Israel Defense Forces who was killed during the initial Hamas‑led attack on October 7, 2023. Speaking aboard Air Force One en route to Washington, Trump said he had spoken with Neutra’s parents: "They're thrilled, in one sense, but in another sense, obviously, it's not too great, but we're very happy to have done it."

On Monday morning the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office confirmed the other two were Col. Asaf Hamami, 40, and Staff Sgt. Oz Daniel, 19. Both were killed on October 7, 2023; Hamami’s death was officially declared two months later, and Daniel’s death was formally declared in February 2024 after his body was held by Hamas for more than two years.

This transfer follows other recent handovers: on Thursday evening Hamas returned the remains of Amiram Cooper, 84, and Sahar Baruch, 25, and earlier in the prior weekend three deceased individuals were transferred whose identities had not been matched to known hostages.

Official responses and ongoing operations

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel remains committed to returning all deceased hostages. At the weekly cabinet meeting he accused Hamas of attempting to deceive Israel, the United States and the international community, and said those efforts would fail.

"The mission is not complete while any deceased hostages remain in Gaza," said IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, adding that the military and security establishment will continue efforts to bring them home.

The Israel Defense Forces also stated they continue operations in parts of Rafah and Khan Younis, which the military described as containing remaining Hamas positions.

Personnel update

As the process of returning remains progresses, the IDF announced that Major General (Res.) Nitzan Alon, head of the Hostages and Missing Persons Directorate since October 7, will step down at his own request after more than two years in the role. Alon oversaw military efforts to locate and negotiate for hostages; families regarded him as a trusted figure in the process.

The returned remains are undergoing forensic identification, and authorities said family notifications will follow as identifications are confirmed. This is a developing story and will be updated as further details emerge.

Reporting contributed by CNN's Jonny Hallam.