Israeli Shlomo Mansour believed to be held hostage confirmed dead since Oct. 7 attacks: Officials
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...