An Israeli man who was thought to be alive and in Hamas captivity was killed during the 2023 attack and his body taken to Gaza, the military said Tuesday.
Shlomo Mantzur was thought to be the oldest hostage held by the group in Gaza and because of his age became a symbol in Israel of Hamas’ hostage-taking tactic.
He was 85 at the time of the attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. The military said the determination of Mantzur’s death was based on intelligence gathered in recent months.
News of Mantzur’s death comes as Israelis have been outraged over the poor condition of hostages who are being freed under the ceasefire with Hamas. On Tuesday, protesters briefly blocked a main highway calling for more hostages to be freed.
That anger is putting heavy pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to extend the ceasefire, what would allow for more hostages to be freed. More than 70 hostages, nearly half of them said by Israel to be dead, are still held captive in Gaza.
Kibbutz Kissufim, where Mantzur was from, said he was “a father, a grandfather, a true friend and the beating heart” of the community.
