'Been through hell': Survivor recounts her horrific experience as Hamas' captive

A woman identified as Yocheved Lifschitz, who was taken as hostage by Hamas terrorists on October 7 and released on Tuesday morning (Oct 24), held a press conference from the hospital where she was recovering after getting free.

85-year-old Yocheved Lifschitz said that she has been through hell while speaking about how she was kidnapped by Hamas terrorists and carried away on motorbikes from her kibbutz.

Yocheved Lifshitzhad spent years getting medical supplies into Gaza.

She stated that theyentered Gaza Strip through a gate and that she suffered bruises because of the motorbike ride. She added that she was struggling to breathe.

While speaking about the ordeal, Yocheved Lifschitz's daughter Sharone also helped her mother in recounting what all happened to her. She further confirmed that Hamas militants took her mother on a motorbike and also hit her with sticks.

The daughter added that her mother was forced to walk for a few kilometres on wet ground.

Captives asked to believe in the Quran to escape 'being hurt'

Sharone spoke about the "huge network" of underground tunnels which is being run by Hamas, calling it similar to a "spider's web".

Speaking to the press, Lifschitz said that she was toldby the people who held her captive that if “you believe in the Quran. We won't hurt you”. The daughter of Lifschitz, Sharone, further continued her translation.

She stated that the captors took off her mother's jewellery and watch, while she was being driven. The daughter said that her mother, along with 24 others, were taken by the Hamas terrorists into the tunnels, which she stated as having "soft, wet ground".

She stated that, after two or three hours, five people from Kibbutz Nir Oz were kept in a separate room. She stated that there were guards, along with a doctor and a paramedic.

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Yocheved Lifschitz, while describing the conditions in which she and her fellow captives were kept in, said that she was kept in a clean place. She stated that they were given mattresses to sleep on the floor inside the tunnels and a doctor came to visit them every two to three days.

She added that Hamas "took care of every detail", including "feminine hygiene". The hostages fed the captives with cucumber and white cheese.

Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments on the Israel-Palestine conflict after the Hamas attacks. However, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.

(With inputs from agencies)

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