Hundreds attend Central Park rally supporting hostages

Parents of slain American hostage call for return of their son’s body for a “dignified burial.”

By World Israel News Staff

Hundreds of supporters of Israel gathered in New York City’s Central Park on Sunday, showing their support for the Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.

Key speakers included the parents of Omer Neutra, a Long Island native and IDF soldier who was killed on October 7th and whose body has been held by Hamas for more than 16 months.

Ronen and Orna Neutra previously spoke at the Republican National Convention in July 2024, before their son’s fate was clear.

“We lost our hope to see Omer alive,” the Neturas said. “But Omer deserves a dignified burial, and we deserve a place to mourn. Bring them home now,” they added.

Ilana Gritzewsky, who was kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz alongside her boyfriend, Matan Zangauker, also spoke at the rally.

Held in Gaza for 55 days, Gritzewsky has advocated for her boyfriend’s liberation from Hamas captivity since her release.

“I cannot stop thinking about each of the kidnapped. Cannot stop thinking about my Matan, and until we bring them all home, nothing will stop,” she said.

Gritzewsky added that while “my body may have returned…the deepest part with me is still there.”

She said that “the world does not understand the magnitude of this trauma, with the kidnapped clinging to our emotional torment.”

Rep. Ritchie Torres, a staunchly pro-Israel Democrat, said that he understood how the Jewish community had been deeply affected by the Bibas family murders and the delayed return of Shiri Bibas’s body.

“These past weeks of this, especially these past few days, have been unbearable,” Torres told the crowd.

“I will always stand up here, not only in hoping but fighting for a world where the hostages are brought home and where Oct. 7 can never be repeated,” he said.