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By: Joshua Marks & Amelie Botbol
Kibbutz Kissufim on Tuesday announced the death of Hamas hostage Shlomo Mansour, 86.
Mansour was abducted from his home and murdered by terrorists during the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack on southern Israel, military representatives told his family. His body is being held in the Gaza Strip.
The kibbutz described his death as a profound loss, calling him the “beating heart of Kissufim.”
Mansour was to have been among the 33 hostages released by Hamas during the first phase of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire. However, according to Israel, while the hostage list provided by the terrorist group indicated that eight of the 33 were already deceased, it did not identify them.
Mansour, who was the oldest hostage in Hamas captivity, was born in Iraq in 1938 and is recognized as a Holocaust survivor. When he was three years old, he experienced the 1941 Farhud massacre in Baghdad, during the Jewish holiday of Shavuot.
“This is one of the most difficult days in the history of our kibbutz. Shlomo was much more than a community member to us—he was a father, a grandfather, a true friend and the beating heart of Kissufim,” the kibbutz said.
“His smile, modesty and human warmth were an inspiration to us all. Our hearts are broken that we were unable to bring him back to us alive. The entire community grieves his loss and is united in grief and pain.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a statement in response to the news, saying, “My wife Sara and I extend our heartfelt condolences to the family of the late Shlomo Mansour upon receiving the heartbreaking news of his murder by the Hamas terrorist organization.”
The statement went on to note that Shlomo was one of the founders of Kibbutz Kissufim, and in his youth had survived the Farhud riots in Iraq.
“During the brutal Hamas terror attack on October 7, he was murdered and taken captive to Gaza. We share in the family’s profound sorrow. We will not rest or stop until he is returned to a Jewish burial,” the statement continued. “We will continue to act with determination and tirelessly until all our hostages, both the living and the fallen, are returned. May his memory be a blessing.”
Israeli President Isaac Herzog expressed deep sorrow over the murder of Mansour, extending his support to his family and the Kissufim community, recalling his recent meeting with them and their tireless fight for his return.
“They fought with all their might for his return throughout a year and four months of hell and pain, clinging in hope and prayer for his fate,” said Herzog.
“Shlomo was a talented carpenter, a modest and kind-hearted family and community man who radiated warmth and love to all those around him. We will continue to do everything in our power to bring Shlomo home to be laid to rest in dignity, and to bring back all our hostages—both the living and the fallen—until the very last one,” he continued.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz also extended his condolences to Mansour’s family, pledging to “continue to do everything possible to bring back all the hostages, both the living and those who are no longer alive. This is our moral duty and our highest priority.” (JNS.org)
