Tributes pour in for Canadian Israeli peace activist Vivian Silver killed in Hamas attacks

Canadian Israeli peace activist Vivian Silver has been confirmed among those killed in the Hamas attacks on October 7.

One of Silver’s two sons, Chen Zeigen, told The Canadian Pressthat Israeli officials say the remains of the 74-year-old woman had been found in the kibbutz where she lived but were only identified now.

The Winnipeg-born peace activist was believed to have been one of the over 200 hostages from Israel taken by Hamas, which is classified as a “radical Islamist-nationalist terrorist organization” by the Canadian government.

Silver’s other son, Yonatan Zeigen, told CTV News that she was killed by the Gaza Strip’s governing militant group during the surprise attack over a month ago.

Chen told reporters in Ottawa last month that Silver had moved to Israel in 1974 and had dedicated her life to fostering peace and understanding between Israelis and Palestinians. She also volunteered to help children in Gaza get access to medical care in Israel.

In another interview with The Canadian Press last month, Yonatan condemned the military violence, saying that his mom raised him to believe peace is the only way to solve the conflict that has lasted for decades.

“My basic belief is that the military actions don’t solve anything,” he said.

“The attack on October 7, it was vicious [and] really brutal. But it happened in a certain context of this region of years and years of dehumanizing people from both sides.”

Tributes have been pouring in for Silver from Canadians and people around the world.

NDP leader Jagmeet Singh shared his condolences on X.

Others joined in, remembering her “brave and unwavering voice for peace and humanity.”