Oldest Israeli hostage & Holocaust survivor Shlomo Mansour, 86, killed by Hamas as peace deal on brink of collapse
THE oldest Israeli hostage and Holocaust survivor was killed by Hamas, Israel has confirmed.
The IDF believes Shlomo Mansour, 86, may have been killed during the October 7 onslaught as his heartbroken kibbutz paid tribute to the grandfather.
It's thought Shlomo was murdered in Kibbutz Kissufim before his body was taken by Hamas terrorists to the Gaza Strip - where it is still being held.
The Israeli military said in a statement on Tuesday that the "decision to confirm his death was based on intelligence gathered in recent months".
Shlomo was on the list of hostages was due to be released in the first phase of the ceasefire deal that now sits on the brink of collapse.
The 86-year-old's granddaughter Safir spoke out about her grandfather when he was still believed to be alive as a hostage.
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She said Shlomo had survived a massacre in Iraq as a little boy, and decades later, had to endure the October 7 onslaught.
She said more than a handful of terrorists broke into his house, took him out, slapped him in the face and beat him before handcuffing him and taking him away.
His wife Mazal Mansour, with whom he'd been with for 60 years and had five children with, managed to escape the attack.
Shlomo was kidnapped into Gaza in his own car, weighing only 57 kilograms and without his hearing aids.
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A statement from his kibbutz read: "With heavy hearts, we, the members of the kibbutz, received the news this morning about the murder of our dear friend, Shlomo Mansour, 86 years old, who was kidnapped from his home in Kibbutz Kissufim during the Hamas terror attack on October 7, 2023."
The kibbutz also called on the Israeli government as well as world leaders "to continue acting with determination to bring back all the hostages, both the living and the dead, and not to allow painful stories like Shlomo's to repeat themselves".
Of the 76 hostages remaining on the Gaza Strip, the IDF has confirmed the tragic deaths of 36.
The news comes as Donald Trump issued an as he warned "all hell is going to break out" if they refuse to release the final hostages.
The US president said the ceasefire deal between Hamas and should be cancelled if the remaining hostages are not all freed by midday on Saturday.
Speaking directly on the hostages, Trump added: "I don't want a trickle. Not three and then two. I want them all."
So far, Israel and Hamas have completed five exchanges in the first phase of the ceasefire, freeing 21 hostages and more than 730 prisoners.
Hamas had agreed to release 33 hostages for nearly 2,000 prisoners and detainees during this phase.
Despite the chilling ultimatum, Trump also said he fears many of the remaining captives could be dead.
He ended the powerful statement by saying any move is ultimately up to .
His comments come just hours after Hamas announced they are delaying any further hostage releases.
They accused Israel of violating the fragile ceasefire pact which only started three weeks ago.
Hamas' top brass claim Israel has been dragging its feet on allowing aid into Gaza - a charge Israel has rejected as untrue.
The major confrontation comes just halfway through the agreed six-week deal which should see 33 hostages ruthlessly snatched on October 7, finally returned home to their loved ones.
What happened on October 7?
ON OCTOBER 7, 2023, Hamas launched a brutal surprise attack on Israel, marking one of the darkest days in the nation’s history.
Terrorists stormed across the border from Gaza, killing over 1,200 people — most of them civilians — and kidnapping 250 others, including women, children, and the elderly.
The coordinated assault saw heavily armed fighters infiltrate Israeli towns, kibbutzim, and military bases, unleashing indiscriminate violence.
Innocent families were slaughtered in their homes, and graphic footage of the atrocities spread across social media, leaving the world in shock.
And as well as attacking people in their homes, they stormed the Nova music peace festival - killing at least 364 people there alone.
The massacre triggered a swift and massive retaliatory response from Israel, escalating into a full-scale war.
The attack not only reignited long-standing tensions in the region but also left deep scars on both sides of the conflict, setting the stage for the 15 months of devastation that followed.
With 21 released so far during this phase, a dozen are still yet to be freed with fears increasing every day about the condition of those still being held.
Serious concerns are starting to grow over the youngest hostage, baby Kfir Bibas.
Kfir was only nine months old when he was barbarically forced to spend the majority of his life as a Hamas prisoner.
He was kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz during Hamas' October 7 bloodbath alongside his parents and older brother, Ariel, five.
Trump made his Gaza comments to reporters as he signed a huge number of executive orders in the Oval Office.
One of these is aimed at encouraging the US government and consumers to purchase plastic straws opposed to paper ones.
Trump has been vocal on his thoughts on Gaza and the current war in the Middle East since returning to office in January.
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He was left furious by the condition of the latest releases saying they "looked like Holocaust survivors".
The US president said he was losing his patience with the hostage deal after seeing footage of Eli Sharabi, Or Levy and Ohad Ben Ami, who appeared gaunt upon their release.
