– I have been through hell, says Yocheved Lifschitz in a press conference with the BBC. She was released on Monday evening together with another woman, Nurit Cooper (79). The Egyptian TV channel Al-Qahera showed images of two men from Hamas handing over the two women to the Red Cross at the Rafah border crossing. The two women’s spouses are still being held hostage by Hamas in Gaza. Israeli authorities updated the number of hostages on Monday to 222. Yocheved Lifschitz in hospital in Tel Aviv after his release. Photo: AP Lifschitz was helped by his daughter Sharone to convey his experiences. Sharone says that her mother was abducted by men on motorbikes who beat her with sticks. Hamas is said to have brought her to Gaza through a gate and she is said to have had difficulty breathing during the motorcycle ride itself. Lifschitz also points a finger at the Israeli government, which spent billions on the border fence – but she points out that that did not prevent Hamas from getting through. Yocheved Lifschitz was taken hostage by Hamas. Photo: AP The hostages are said to have been in tunnel systems inside Gaza. Lifschitz is said to have been forced to walk several kilometers in the tunnels. She compares the “massive” tunnel network to a spider’s web. The rooms the hostages were kept in were clean, and the tunnels themselves had a soft and wet ground, the elderly woman says calmly and without noticeable emotional outbursts. According to Lifschitz, the hostages slept on mattresses and received health care. Hamas is said to have told her that “We believe in the Koran, so we will not harm you”. The prisoners are said to have been served white cheese and cucumber. – They took care of every little detail, says Lifschitz, whose husband Oded (83) is still in Hamas’ captivity.
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Freed Hamas hostage says she has been through hell – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
