Kibbutz Kissufim on Tuesday announced the death of Hamas hostage Shlomo Mansour, 86.

Mansour was abducted from his home and murdered by terrorists during the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack on southern Israel, military representatives told his family. His body is being held in the Gaza Strip.

The kibbutz described his death as a profound loss, calling him the “beating heart of Kissufim.”

Mansour, who was the oldest hostage in Hamas captivity, was born in Iraq in 1938 and is recognized as a Holocaust survivor. When he was three years old, he experienced the 1941 Farhud massacre in Baghdad, during the Jewish holiday of Shavuot.

“His smile, modesty and human warmth were an inspiration to us all. Our hearts are broken that we were unable to bring him back to us alive. The entire community grieves his loss and is united in grief and pain.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a statement in response to the news, saying, “My wife Sara and I extend our heartfelt condolences to the family of the late Shlomo Mansour upon receiving the heartbreaking news of his murder by the Hamas terrorist organization.”

The statement went on to note that Shlomo was one of the founders of Kibbutz Kissufim, and in his youth had survived the Farhud riots in Iraq.

“During the brutal Hamas terror attack on October 7, he was murdered and taken captive to Gaza. We share in the family’s profound sorrow. We will not rest or stop until he is returned to a Jewish burial,” the statement continued. “We will continue to act with determination and tirelessly until all our hostages, both the living and the fallen, are returned. May his memory be a blessing.”

Israeli President Isaac Herzog expressed deep sorrow over the murder of Mansour, extending his support to his family and the Kissufim community, recalling his recent meeting with them and their tireless fight for his return.

“They fought with all their might for his return throughout a year and four months of hell and pain, clinging in hope and prayer for his fate,” said Herzog.

“Shlomo was a talented carpenter, a modest and kind-hearted family and community man who radiated warmth and love to all those around him. We will continue to do everything in our power to bring Shlomo home to be laid to rest in dignity, and to bring back all our hostages—both the living and the fallen—until the very last one,” he continued.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz also extended his condolences to Mansour’s family, pledging to “continue to do everything possible to bring back all the hostages, both the living and those who are no longer alive. This is our moral duty and our highest priority.”

The family of Gali and Ziv Berman, 27-year-old twins held hostage by Hamas in Gaza since Oct. 7, has received a sign of life from them, though no further details were provided.

Their aunt, Macabit Mayer, confirmed the news on Tuesday but emphasized the ongoing danger they face.

“We’re trying to regulate our breathing on one hand, but we know whose hands they’re in and how much danger their lives are in,” she said.

The twins were abducted from Kibbutz Kfar Aza, where they were born and raised. Gali had gone to check on a neighbor, Emily Damari, who was also kidnapped by Hamas but was released during the current Israel-Hamas ceasefire. Testimonies suggest the brothers may have been held separately. The family remains deeply concerned, particularly following the return of other male hostages from captivity.

Calls for action from hostage families, Knesset lawmakers

Families of hostages, joined by activists, blocked Highway 1 near the Hemed Junction on Tuesday, demanding that Netanyahu send a fully empowered delegation to Doha, Qatar, to secure a comprehensive hostage release deal.

Protesters held signs reading “Abandoning the hostages is a war crime” and ignited yellow flares as they blocked the main route between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Ahead of an evening Cabinet meeting, they called for urgent action to ensure the release of all remaining captives in a single agreement.

“The government must do everything in its power to bring back the 76 hostages who are still being held in captivity,” Yesh Atid lawmaker Karine Elharrar told JNS on Monday.

“(U.S. President Donald) Trump should intervene, just as he did during the first stage of the current ceasefire,” she said.

Hamas announced the delay of the next scheduled hostage release “until further notice”, citing alleged Israeli violations. In response, Trump vowed on Monday that “all hell is going to break out” if Hamas did not release the remaining hostages by noon on Saturday.

Yesh Atid MK Shelly Tal Meron likened the images of recently released hostages to Holocaust-era atrocities, emphasizing to JNS on Monday the urgency of bringing all hostages home immediately.

Likud MK Tally Gotliv called for the continuous global dissemination of footage depicting Hamas’s atrocities to counter its glorification and build anti-Hamas sentiment.

“I also believe it is necessary to impose a heavy siege on Gaza. What will lead to the surrender of Hamas and the return of our hostages is a great lack in food and in fuel,” she told JNS on Monday.