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The parents of an American hostage whose remains are still in Gaza described the “torturous” days waiting for his return by Hamas.
“We came here on Sunday, prepared to receive him on Monday and, as the day went by and only four hostages were released, and our son wasn’t among them, it was devastating,” Orna Neutra, mother of Capt. Omer Neutra, said Thursday on “Fox & Friends.”
The late IDF platoon commander is one of two deceased Americans whose remains have not yet been returned by Hamas under the first stage of a peace agreement brokered by President Donald Trump.
TRUMP HAS FREED MORE THAN 70 US HOSTAGES IN LESS THAN A YEAR; BIDEN RELEASED AROUND 70 IN FOUR YEARS
Orna and Ronen Neutra, parents of Omer Neutra — who was taken hostage by Hamas during the militant group’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel — speak at the Republican National Convention at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee on July 17, 2024. (Hannah Beier/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Orna, appearing alongside Omer’s father Ronen Neutra, said the terror group has kept families “on edge” by refusing to announce whether another release will take place.
“We stay awake all night because they usually have been brought back to Israel after midnight and only identified by 3 or 4 a.m.,” she said.
“So all the families are holding their breath for us only to realize that he still is not back and now Hamas is saying that they can’t release any others.”
Hamas has failed to meet the terms of Trump’s peace plan, falling short of its pledge to return all deceased hostages to Israel.
IDF SAYS BODY TURNED OVER BY HAMAS DOESN’T MATCH ANY HOSTAGES
An image of Omer Neutra is displayed at his memorial service on Dec. 3, 2024, at Midway Jewish Center in Syosset, NY. (AP Photo/Philip Marcelo)
All remaining living hostages were returned to the Jewish state over the weekend.
Ronen urged the U.S. government to use its full influence with Middle East mediators to secure the return of the deceased hostages, warning that renewed conflict could erupt and his son’s remains could be lost “forever.”
“Put Israel and Hamas together and say, ‘Listen, guys, there are 19 hostages left. It’s part of the first stages of the agreement. They need to come out,'” he said.
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“The alternative, if they don’t come out, this ceasefire is going to collapse, and this is going be horrible. We may lose our boy forever. You know, our tradition calls for a burial place for us to go and start our mourning process. And we don’t have it for over two years.”
The family of 19-year-old U.S.-Israeli hostage Itay Chen is also waiting for Hamas to return his remains.
