Kibbutz Kissufim announced this morning (Tuesday) the death of Shlomo Mansour, the oldest Israeli held captive by Hamas at age 86. “With heavy hearts, we, the members of Kibbutz Kissufim, received the devastating news of our dear friend Shlomo Mansour’s murder in Hamas captivity,” the kibbutz stated. “Shlomo was more than just a member of our community—he was a father, a grandfather, a true friend, and the beating heart of Kissufim. His smile, humility, and warmth inspired us all. Our hearts are broken that we could not bring him back alive. Our community grieves together, united in sorrow and pain.”
Mansour’s name appeared on a list of hostages Hamas submitted to Israel at the start of the hostage deal, but it was unclear whether he would be returned alive or among the dead in the final phase of the exchange. With the deal now in limbo, there is no certainty about when his body will be repatriated to Israel.
A Founder of Kibbutz Kissufim
The oldest hostage from the October 7th attacks, Mansour had a life story that was both unique and deeply symbolic. He survived a massacre as a child—the Farhud pogrom of 1941 in Baghdad, where Iraqi Jews were brutally attacked under Nazi influence and incitement by Haj Amin al-Husseini. Barely escaping death, young Shlomo Mansour was, in every sense, a Holocaust survivor.
Years later, Mansour immigrated to Israel as part of the massive aliyah wave of Iraqi Jews after the establishment of the state. By age 16, he had settled in Kibbutz Kissufim, which was founded in 1951 along Israel’s border with Egyptian-controlled Gaza. A decade later, he married Mazal, a young woman who had also arrived at the kibbutz, and together they built a home and raised a family, living happily in the community for over 60 years.
On the morning of October 7th, Hamas terrorists stormed their home. Mazal managed to escape, and today she is surrounded by her five children and twelve grandchildren. Shlomo was taken into Gaza, where he remained in captivity with no ‘sign of life.’
Today, the kibbutz confirmed his murder. According to IDF intelligence, Mansour was killed on October 7th, 2023.
