A released Israeli hostage said on Oct. 24, that she "went through hell" after being abducted by Hamas and moved through a "spiderweb" of muddy tunnels before beginning more than two weeks of captivity in Gaza.
The 85-year-old Yocheved Lifshitz was an elderly resident of Nir Oz kibbutz, one of the Israeli communities near the Gaza Strip that was brutally attacked by Hamas militants on Oct. 7, leaving some 180 of the kibbutz's 400 residents either killed or abducted.
Lifshitz is one of the first hostages to be freed by Hamas and also one of the first to speak publicly about her ordeal. More than 200 Israeli and foreign nationals continue to be held by Hamas.
"I went through hell. I didn't think or know I'd get to this situation. They went on a rampage in our kibbutz, kidnapped me, lay me over a motorcycle… and sped off with me through the plowed fields," Lifshitz said a day after her release.
Lifshitz claims "Hamas treated hostages well"
But Lifshitz told reporters that Hamas treated the hostages well. (Related: Israelis lament 'PR disaster' after freed Israeli hostage reveals Hamas ‘treated us very nicely.’)
The terrorists did take her watch and jewelry and forced her to walk through muddy fields before reaching a tunnel network, which she described as comparable to "a spiderweb." They passed through one of the tunnels and arrived in a huge hall where about 25 other hostages were assembled.
"They told us they believe in the Quran and would not harm us, that they would give us the same conditions as they have in the tunnels," Lifshitz said of her captors.
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After around two to three hours, Lifshitz and about four other hostages from the Nir Oz kibbutz were taken into a separate room where they were put on mattresses. She added that medics and doctors came to check on them regularly, with the doctor returning every couple of days while the medic arranged to provide them with necessary medicines.
"The treatment towards us was good," stated Lifshitz, who added the medic treated one of the hostages who was injured. She cited her abductors made sure the conditions were sanitary because "they were afraid of contagion."
Lifshitz described her captors as "very friendly" and "very courteous" people. "They seemed ready for this, they prepared for a long time, they had everything that men and women needed, including shampoo," Lifshitz told journalists. "We ate the same food they did – pitas with cream cheese, melted cheese, cucumbers. That was a meal for an entire day."
The octogenarian was set free along with fellow Nir Oz resident Nurit Cooper, 79, three days after an American woman and her daughter were freed.
Sharone Lifshitz, the daughter of Lifshitz who translated for her mother, told a press conference in Tel Aviv that her mother "seems OK" after her ordeal. The elder Lifshitz was seen reaching back to shake one of the hands of her captors after being released by Hamas militants and handed her over to Red Cross officials.
The younger Lifshitz continues to push for the release of her father, Oded Lifshitz, as well as the release of the other hostages.
"I hope he is being looked after and has the chance to talk. He speaks good Arabic, so he can communicate very well with the people there. He knows many people in Gaza and the West Bank. I want to think that he's going to be okay," Sharone said.
The younger Lifshitz said she and her mother still dream of peace with the Palestinians, even as an anticipated ground invasion of Gaza by Israel threatens to spark a broader conflict in the region.
"We have to find ways because there is no alternative. If anything, it makes me even more resolved. The way has got longer, we are dealing with grief and loss on a level we can never get over, but as nations, we will have to find a way forward," Sharone said.
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Watch the video below about freed Israeli captive Yocheved Lifshitz, one of several hostages freed by Hamas.
This video is from the Cynthia's Pursuit of Truth channel on Brighteon.com.
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Hamas FREES 2 American hostages on HUMANITARIAN grounds.
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