US Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander Admiral Brad Cooper is expected to speak tomorrow at the funeral of Captain Omer Neutra, a US source told The Jerusalem Post on Thursday.
Admiral Cooper, currently serving as the head of US Central Command, will be the highest-ranking American official to deliver remarks at the funeral of an Israeli hostage murdered by Hamas.
Cooper is among the most decorated officers in the US military.
As CENTCOM’s deputy commander, he played a key role in the American Operation Midnight Hammer targeting nuclear facilities, as well as in the military campaign against the Houthis.
Cooper maintains close and ongoing communication with senior Israeli officials -including IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir - on a wide range of regional strategic matters.
Neutra, 21, was killed during the October 7 massacre. Hamas took his remains to the Gaza Strip. They were returned to Israel Sunday night.
Neutra was a lone soldier from New York and served as a tank platoon commander in the 77th Battalion of the 7th Brigade.