"We receive so many slaps": The bereaved father on the investigation of the shelter in Re'im
Almost three years after October 7, the families of the murdered were exposed to an investigation into the final hours of their loved ones. Menashe Mansouri, who lost his two daughters, stated: "I received a slap in the face. They tell us about liquidations and 'absolute victory', and then you see the real numbers." According to him, the IDF identified most of the terrorists who arrived at the Re'im junction, but only three of them have been liquidated so far.
Almost three years have passed since Menashe Mansouri lost his two daughters, Roya and Norel Mansouri, who were murdered in the eastern shelter in Re'im during the October 7 massacre. On Sunday, as part of the presentation of the IDF investigation to the families, he was exposed to figures that left him in pain: about 100 terrorists arrived at the Re'im junction on the morning of October 7. The IDF identified most of them, but to this day, according to Mansouri, only three have been liquidated. The rest of the terrorists, it was reported to the families, are "still in the crosshairs".
"I received a slap in the face," said Mansouri. "They tell us about liquidations and 'absolute victory', and then when you get to the real numbers you see the differences between what they tell us and what is actually being carried out on the ground."
The investigation redrew the two and a half hours during which dozens of young people hid in the shelter after fleeing the Nova festival. Opposite the shelter where they were staying is the one where Aner Shapira fought the terrorists and repelled grenades thrown at it.
According to the investigation, about 100 terrorists arrived at the Re'im junction in several waves. They were on their way to Kibbutz Re'im, but after noticing the civilians hiding in the shelters, they began to attack them. At 7:52, the massacre began in the shelter where his daughters were hiding. For about two and a half hours, the terrorists threw grenades at the shelter; six of them exploded inside. They also fired into it and tried to set it on fire, apparently in an attempt to kidnap the survivors. Only around 10:30 did the first police force arrive at the scene and rescue 12 survivors.
Mansouri expressed a deep sense of abandonment. "I was really surprised by this number. It grated on me a lot," he said. "We receive so many slaps, but I discover every time that they are lying to us again and again. They tell us stories. If I look at it as a citizen and not just as a bereaved parent, I hear these stories all day and then see the numbers and the differences."
Despite the anger, Mansouri emphasized that he appreciates the honesty of the IDF representative who presented the investigation. He calls for the establishment of a state commission of inquiry that will examine not only the failures that led to the October 7 massacre, but also the conduct of the military and political echelons.
"It creates a lack of belief between us and the leadership, and it is something that needs to be fixed," he said. "We deserve a brave leader who will lead us, even if the truth is hard. In the end, the truth is the most important thing and we can handle it."
After leaving the presentation, Mansouri responded to the Minister of Defense on X: "100 terrorists murdered my daughters and dozens more in the shelter, and only three of them were liquidated. The rest are walking around Gaza free."
