Oldest Hamas hostage confirmed killed

Shafaq News/ Shlomo Mansour, who was taken hostage by Hamas from Kibbutz Kissufim on October 7, 2023, was killed that day, the Israeli military revealed, on Tuesday, confirming that his body remains in Gaza.

The announcement followed months of intelligence gathering, with the determination of Mansour’s death reviewed and approved by an expert committee from the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Religious Affairs, and Israeli police. The military stated that “testimonies from released hostages and intelligence reports confirmed his fate.”

Israeli media reported that Mansour, 86, was the oldest hostage held by Hamas. He was abducted from his home in front of his wife and taken to Gaza. His name had been included in a list of hostages to be released as part of a ceasefire deal, but Hamas did not disclose details of his condition at the time.

Kibbutz Kissufim mourned his loss, calling it “one of the hardest days in our history.” In a statement, the community described Mansour as “a father, a grandfather, a true friend, and the heart of Kissufim,” urging the Israeli government and world leaders to “take decisive action to secure the return of all hostages, both living and deceased.”

Israeli leaders expressed condolences and vowed continued efforts to repatriate hostages. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “We will not rest until all hostages are returned for proper burial.” Meanwhile, Defense Minister Israel Katz called it Israel’s “moral duty to recover both the living and the dead.”

According to Israeli media, Mansour, originally from Iraq, survived the 1941 Farhud pogrom in Baghdad before immigrating to Israel with his family. He was among the founding members of Kibbutz Kissufim.