An elderly Israeli man long thought to be among those still held by Hamas terrorists is now known to have been murdered on Oct. 7, Israeli officials announced Tuesday.
Shlomo Mansour’s family received word that the 86-year-old “was murdered by Hamas terrorists on October 7, and his body is still being held hostage in Gaza,” Israel announced.
“There are no words,” the Jewish state said.
Mansour was killed in Kibbutz Kissufim and his body was transported to the Gaza Strip, The Times of Israel reported.
His death was declared by “a panel of health experts and members of the rabbinate,” with intelligence gathered by the Israeli Defense Force over the past few months, the outlet reported.
His sister, Hadassah Lazar, said it’s “hard to accept” that he has been dead for so long after she had been holding out hope that he would be released.
“We thought he would come back, but God had other plans,” Lazar said, according to The Jerusalem Post.
“I always said he gave me strength with his smile and his bright eyes. It’s hard to accept that he has been gone since October 7, that he was killed on the very first day.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a post on X that he and his wife “extend our heartfelt condolences to the family of the late Shlomo Mansour, upon receiving the bitter news of his murder by the terrorist organization Hamas.”
“The late Shlomo was one of the builders of the country and the founders of Kibbutz Kissufim. He survived the Farhud riots in Iraq in his youth,” Netanyahu wrote.
“During the brutal terrorist attack by Hamas murderers on October 7, he was murdered and kidnapped to Gaza.
“We share in the family’s deep grief. We will not rest or be silent until he is returned to the grave of Israel. We will continue to act resolutely and tirelessly until we return all of our hostages – both living and dead.”
The news of Mansour’s death comes after Hamas said it will postpone the next hostage release scheduled for the weekend after accusing Israel of breaking the cease-fire deal on Monday.
A spokesman for Hamas’ military wing, Abu Obeida, said the exchanges would remain on pause until Israel offers proper compensation for allegedly breaking the terms of the breakthrough truce deal that was meant to free 33 hostages in its first phase.
“Hostages who were scheduled to be released next Saturday … will be postponed until further notice, and until the occupation commits to and compensates for the entitlements of the past weeks retroactively,” Obeida wrote on X.
Hamas’ state Media Office accused Israel on Monday of refusing to allow shelter supplies into the Gaza Strip, as outlined in the cease-fire agreement to help combat the humanitarian crisis in the enclave.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz slammed Hamas’ notice as an “outright violation of the cease-fire,” the Times of Israel reports.
“I instructed the IDF to prepare at the highest level of alert for any possible scenario in Gaza and to protect the [border] communities,” Katz said in preparation for a return to war.
There are 76 hostages remaining in Gaza — around 36 of whom are presumed dead, according to Israeli officials.
