Hostage about kidnapping: "I walked for hours through a web of tunnels"
9:18 AM EDT, October 25, 2023
In recent days, Hamas has begun the gradual release of small groups of hostages taken during the attack on October 7. An 85-year-old, Jochewed Lifshitz, who was liberated, told about her life in captivity.
The Hamas attack, which took place on October 7, 2023, marked the beginning of an unprecedented escalation of conflict between Israel and Palestine. As a result, by Thursday, October 24, 1400 Israelis and about 5800 Palestinians were killed. It's vain to believe that this is the end, although minimal steps can be seen towards saving civilian lives.
During their attack, Hamas took many Israeli citizens captive. One of those people was Jochewed Lifshitz, an 85-year-old activist, who according to information from "The Guardian", frequently transported sick Palestinians from the Gaza Strip to Israel.
Lifshitz and her husband were beaten, robbed of their watches and jewelry, and then tied up and transported by motorcycle to Gaza. She also talked about what happened next.
Finally, we went underground and walked for miles through a web of wet tunnels, for two or three hours. We arrived at a large hall. We were a group of 25 people and were separated according to the kibbutzim from which we originated.
It tells about the kidnapping by Hamas. "They treated us with respect"
Interestingly, Jochewed admitted that the kidnappers treated their hostages very well, caring for their condition and treating them equally in terms of comfort.
They treated us with respect. The guards fed us the same food that they ate themselves. A doctor visited us daily, providing medication and care, including to those hostages injured in a motorcycle accident. They took great care about hygiene and were worried about outbreaks. The toilets were cleaned daily.
The fate of Jochewed Lifshitz's husband, Oded, is currently unknown. The 85 year-old was one of two people who were released as a result of negotiations involving Egypt and Qatar. Upon being transferred to Israeli authorities, Jochewed turned to a Hamas fighter, shook his hand, and said "shalom" - a Jewish greeting and salutation meaning "peace".
Freed Israeli hostage filmed extending hand to Hamas militant in video released by group
However, this does not mean that the former hostage has already returned to her daily routine. In an interview conducted with her at a hospital in Tel Aviv, she spoke of a nightmare that still haunts her when she recalls the whole history. She is also resentful of the Israeli state, which failed to properly protect its citizens.
Three weeks ago, masses of people arrived at the border fence. The IDF [Israel Defense Forces; ed. note] did not take this seriously. We were left to fend for ourselves.
