If you’ve been on any form of social media this past month, you’ve definitely been exposed to what is happening in Gaza. Approximately 200 hostages were taken by Hamas, and around 1200 people killed by the surprise attack. Consequently, sources say Israel has dropped over 6000 bombs on Palestine, killing more than 5000 people. Here’s how you can help.
Two hostages from Israel were released earlier this week, elderly ladies by the names of Nurit Cooper and Yocheved Lifschitz. A group of journalists spoke to her while she was being treated in the Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv, after she was released.
Lifschitz stated she was put on the back of a motorcycle and beaten with a stick. While they didn’t break her ribs, she said the beating made it difficult to breathe. She states her and the other hostages were taken to a “huge network” of tunnels that resembled “a spiderweb.” She goes on to describe how they walked for two to three hours in damp passageways until reaching a large hall, where she and the rest of the 25 Israeli hostages were separated according to which community they were from.
Lifschitz says her captors were prepared for the arrival of hostages, with clean mattresses on the ground and an accompanying guard for each one of them. The guards expressed they “were people who believed in the Quran”, and did not want to hurt them. They ate the same food as the guards – cheese, cucumbers, and pita bread – and had access to medical aid and doctors through out her time in captivity.
Although kidnapped by the opposing side, she did have some criticisms of the IDF (Israel Defense Force). She said they were unprepared for the October 7th attack, brushed it off and as a consequence, put the people of Israel in danger.
“We were the scapegoat of the government. The lack of awareness by Shin Bet and the IDF hurt us a lot. They (Hamas) warned us three weeks before they taught us a lesson. A huge crowd arrived at the road. They burned fields. They sent fire balloons to burn the fields, and the army didn’t take it seriously.”
Upon her release, Lifschitz turned to shake hands with one of her captors – a gesture that shocked people around the world. Her son states her reasoning was “because he had kept her alive and she thanked him. That is all. It has nothing to do with the savage murderers who rampaged through the kibbutz. Her rage at them also remains.”
Over 200 hostages remain, two of which being the released women’s husbands.