Yocheved Lifshitz

Yocheved Lifshitz, an 85-year-old Israeli woman, endured a harrowing 17-day captivity in Gaza following her abduction by Palestinian militants during the October 7 attacks on Israel. Her ordeal began with a violent kidnapping from her home in Kibbutz Nir Oz, where she was beaten and forcibly taken through a complex network of underground tunnels, likened by her to "a spider web." Despite the initial violence, Lifshitz reported that her treatment improved over time, with her captors providing medical care, sanitation, and adequate food, aiming to prevent disease and maintain the health of the hostages.

Lifshitz's release, alongside another hostage, Nurit Cooper, 79, was facilitated by the International Committee for the Red Cross and Egypt, bringing a moment of relief amidst the ongoing conflict. However, her husband, Oded Lifshitz, an Israeli journalist and peace activist, remains captive in Gaza.