Thousands of Israelis gathered at Kibbutz Kissufim to pay their last respects to Shlomo Mansour, who at 85 was the oldest hostage from Hamas’s October 7 attacks. President Isaac Herzog, in his eulogy, reiterated a call for a state commission of inquiry.

“You told me how he survived the ‘Farhud’ pogrom that took place among the Jews of Baghdad in 1941 when he was a tender child. How he immigrated to Israel and built his life here. You told me about a wonderful man with a heart of gold and hands of gold, with giving to others and love for the people and the land, with an understanding of the Middle East – including the Arabic language that he wanted to pass on to the younger generation, with a belief in doing good, and most of all – with a deep faith in the country, in the community, in the family,” Herzog said, addressing Mansour’s family.

A carpenter and craftsman, Mansour was abducted from his home on Kibbutz Kissufim on the morning of October 7. On Feb. 11, 2025, the Israel Defense Forces declared Mansor dead based on intelligence. Mansour is survived by his wife of 60 years, children and grandchildren.