Israel’s Jocheved Lifshitz (85), who was kidnapped by Hamas agents in the Gaza Strip who broke into Israel through the blockade and taken to Gaza, but was released on the 23rd after 17 days, held a press conference on the 24th and spoke in detail about his life as a hostage. said.
Despite his advanced age, the elderly Lifshitz, who completed his hospital check-up in half a day and faced reporters with open arms, said at the beginning of the interview in Hebrew, which was translated into English by his daughter who flew in from England, that he was dragged away on a motorcycle by a gun-toting Hamas operative from a kibbutz near the blockade line. He said it felt like ‘hell’ at the time, but the life under confinement and protection in the tunnel was quite different.
Although he was not covered in a white mask like in other circulated hostage photos, the old man had difficulty breathing and suffered abrasions as he entered Gaza. Hamas raided seven kibbutzim that hundreds of community members called ‘heaven’, killing 1,100 civilians and taking 220 hostage. During the one-day fighting, about 1,000 Hamas and 300 Israeli soldiers were killed.
At the beginning of the puzzling press conference, Lifschitz said, ‘The Israeli government spent billions of dollars to build barbed wire and a steel wall along the border, but it did nothing to stop Hamas.’
When he was dragged away, he was hit by Hamas with sticks and whips, causing cuts on his face. After being dropped on the ground in Gaza, he had to walk through several kilometers of mud. The place he was taken to was inside a tunnel, a ‘maze like a spider’s web.’ As she got on her motorcycle, Hamas took off her watch and jewelry.
When they arrived at the tunnel, other agents waiting greeted the hostages and said, “We believe in the Koran, so we will not harm you.” The old man was joined by 24 other hostages and the tunnel they were assigned had “a soft, damp floor.” Three or four hours later, five villagers from Nir Oz, the old man’s kibbutz, were separated and sent to different rooms.
In addition to the guards, there was one medical practitioner and one doctor each. All of the hostages were kept ‘clean’ in the tunnel, Heepschitz said. They slept on mattresses on the floor, a doctor visited them once every two or three days, and another hostage, who was seriously injured in a motorcycle accident when they were brought in, received treatment for his wounds.
A medical attendant arrived and gave the hostages the medication they needed. For every five people in the elderly hostage group, one guard was assigned. Hamas, who took and imprisoned the elderly and other hostages, said, “They watched and looked after us in every detail,” and included female guards who knew “feminine hygiene.”
During their confinement, they ate white cheese and cucumbers for meals, and it is said that the Hamas guards guarding them also ate the same food.
When Lifshitz was released with another Israeli woman (79) the night before, he voluntarily turned around at the last moment and shook hands with the Hamas operative who had kidnapped and imprisoned him. There was a lot of talk about this scene, and her daughter, who flew in from London, said, “Her mother’s usual personality was revealed.” She is “truly my mother.”
Lifschitz’s husband, who was also taken hostage and detained, worked as a journalist for a long time and showed a special interest in ‘the rights and interests of the Palestinian people,’ the BBC reported.
Two days earlier, on the 20th, two American mothers and daughters were released from captivity for the first time.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.