‘Polite, wanted to talk politics’: The shocking stories of Hamas revealed by freed hostage

On Monday night, the family of Yocheved Lifshitz and the world heaved a sigh of relief when Hamas militants released the 85-year-old hostage, along with 79-year-old Nurit Cooper.

The next day (24 October), sitting in a wheelchair at the Tel Aviv hospital, she revealed her entire abduction ordeal as well as shed insight into how and where at least some of the captives are being treated by Hamas. Hamas is holding at least 200 hostages after carrying out the daring but horrific attack on 7 October.

Lifshitz, describing her “hell”, also criticised the Israeli government over security lapses.

Interestingly, while being released after being held captive for 16 days, Lifshitz was seen shaking hands of a Hamas militant. When asked about this, she told reporters, “Because they treated us very nicely.”

Taken from a kibbutz

Lifshitz, a frail 85-year-old grandmother, was taken hostage by Hamas militants on 7 October from her home in the kibbutz of Nir Oz. Her husband was also taken captive and continues to be a captive.

The Hamas attacked the kibbutz early in the morning, taking the people by surprise and massacring the small community. A BBC report says that one in four residents were kidnapped or killed, including many children.

Describing her capture, she said she was beaten by sticks during the journey into Gaza and struggled with breathing. She was tied to a motorcycle and driven away to Gaza. “As we rode, the motorcycle rider hit me with a wooden pole. They didn’t break my ribs, but it hurt me a lot in that area, making it difficult to breathe. They stole my watch and jewellery.”

“I went through hell,” the grandmother said, adding, “They went on a rampage in our kibbutz. They took us and sped off through the ploughed fields.”

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Life in captivity

Translating her mother’s ordeal, Sharone Lifshitz said that the Hamas militants forced her to walk for a few kilometres on wet ground after being kidnapped and then taken underground into a “spider web” of tunnels. “We went underground and walked for kilometres (miles) in wet tunnels, for two or three hours in a spider web of tunnels,” she recounted.

It was after hours that she along with five others from her kibbutz was taken into a separate room at an undisclosed location. There, they each had a guard and access to a paramedic and doctor. “At the room I was greeted by people who told us we believe in the Quran and promised not to harm me and the other fellow hostages.”

They were given mattresses to sleep on and were given the same food – pitas with cream cheese, melted cheese, and cucumbers – as the Hamas fighters. She along with her co-captives also received regular treatment from doctors. “They really took care of the sanitary side of things so that we didn’t get sick,” Lifshitz added.

“They treated us well,” she told reporters, saying a doctor visited the hostages every two to three days and provided medicine.

“They were very concerned with hygiene and were worried about an outbreak of something. We had toilets which they cleaned every day.”

She further noted that the Hamas fighters seemed prepared and had everything that men and women would need. “They even gave us shampoo to wash our hair with,” she added.

Asked about her captors and what they spoke, she revealed that they wanted to speak politics, but she refused. “They talked about all kinds of things. They were very friendly to us. They took care of all of our needs; this must be said to their credit.”

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF), still gathering vital intelligence as they prepare to respond to the atrocities carried out by Hamas on 7 October, will undoubtedly be hanging onto Lifshitz’s every word.

On her release to Red Cross on Monday, she was seen shaking hands with one of the militants and saying “shalom” – the Hebrew word for peace or harmony. When reporters asked her about it, she replied: “They treated us gently, and provided us with all our needs.”

When asked what she meant by the gesture of shaking a Hamas gunman’s hand, freed hostage Yocheved Lifshitz, 85, says ‘because they treated us very nicely’.

“They seemed really prepared and had concealed it for a long time,” she added.