Parents of Hamas hostage Omer Neutra react after ‘devastating’ death of Hersh Goldberg-Polin

The parents of 22-year-old Omer Neutra, who has been held hostage by Hamas since October 2023, are reflecting on the death of another young hostage, Hersh Goldberg-Polin.

Goldberg-Polin, who was 23, was one of six hostages whose bodies were recently found in Gaza.

“It’s devastating. Omer and Hersh are almost the same age,” Orna Neutra, Omer Neutra’s mother, said Sept. 2 on TODAY. “We didn’t know the Goldberg-Polins before this, but we were thinking our sons probably knew each other.”

She added that Goldberg-Polin’s parents, Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg-Polin, have been “a beacon of hope” for her and her husband since their son was taken hostage.

Omer Neutra, who grew up in New York and later served in the Israeli army, was kidnapped by Hamas militants Oct. 7.

His parents said on TODAY that Hersh Goldberg-Polin’s death is a reminder of the “urgent” need for a cease-fire deal.

“To have this happen now, it shouldn’t have happened,” Orna Neutra said. “There’s such an urgency, and I think this is a testament to that. If the deal had gone through, Hersh would have probably been released at this point, and it’s just heartbreaking.”

Omer Neutra’s father, Ronen Neutra, also shared how he and his wife are coping with their son’s ongoing captivity.

“We basically ask ourselves every morning, ‘What are we doing today to try and bring him out?’” he said.

He also said “it’s critical that people do not forget” all the hostages who remain in Hamas captivity.

About 250 people were taken hostage when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, and about 100 people remain in captivity, NBC News reported.

Asked if she feels satisfied by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s response to the crisis, Orna Neutra said it’s “time for action.”

“It’s been time for action for a long time now, and we’re just seeing the results of inactivity,” she said. “We don’t want verbal commitments; we need to see them coming out, we need to see this war stop.”

Netanyahu said he was “shocked” by the murders of the hostages in Gaza in a statement.

“We are in a difficult day. The heart of the entire nation is torn. Along with all the citizens of Israel, I was shocked to the depths of my soul by the terrible cold-blooded murder of six of our abductees,” the statement said.

“He who murders abductees — does not want a deal,” the prime minister's statement continued, adding, “We, for our part, did not give up. The Israeli government is committed, and I am personally committed, to continue pursuing a deal that will return all of our abductees and guarantee our security and existence.”

In addition to Goldberg-Polin, the other five hostages found dead in Gaza over the weekend have been identified as Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Alexander Lobanov, Almog Sarusi and Master Sgt. Ori Danino.

In another statement to NBC News, Netanyahu's office said the prime minister spoke with Lobanov's parents.

“The prime minister expressed deep sorrow and apologized to his family for the fact that the State of Israel failed to return the late Alexander and the other five abductees alive,” the statement said.

The hostages' deaths also sparked mass demonstrations in Tel Aviv, with protesters calling on the Israeli government to reach a deal to bring the remaining hostages home.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com