An elderly Israeli man, Shlomo Mansour, 86, was killed during Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel. His body is being held hostage in Gaza by gunmen who abducted him from his home in Kibbutz Kissufim.
Mansour, an Iraq-born resident of Israel, had survived the Farhud pogrom against the Iraqi Jewish community in 1941 and later helped found Kibbutz Kissufim. The Israeli military confirms his death based on intelligence gathered in recent months, citing a decision by an expert committee of the ministry of health.
The killing is part of Hamas’s ongoing hostage crisis, where 33 hostages are being held captive, with 16 living hostages already freed and five Thai hostages handed over to the Red Cross. The remaining 17 hostages face uncertain fates, with both sides claiming that eight are dead.
Hamas has threatened to postpone the release of its next group of three hostages unless US, Qatari, and Egyptian mediators address Israeli violations of the ceasefire deal, including delays in allowing shelters and medical supplies. The threat prompted a proposal from US President Donald Trump for Israel to cancel the deal.
Shlomo Mansour was born in Baghdad and emigrated to Israel at 13. He had five children and 12 grandchildren. His wife, Mazal, managed to escape during the attack.
The Israeli government has vowed to take action until all hostages are returned, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying “we will neither rest nor be silent until he is returned for burial in Israel.” The Hostages and Missing Families Forum has called on mediators to help restore the ceasefire deal effectively.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c77rg752nj7o