85-Year-Old Israeli Ex-Hostage Confronts Hamas Chief

An 85-year-old Israeli woman, Yocheved Lifshitz, who was abducted⁤ by Hamas on Oct. 7 and released two weeks later, had a remarkable encounter with ⁢the Gaza leader Yahya Sinwar during her captivity.⁢ She fearlessly questioned him about his violent actions against peace activists like⁤ herself.

Lifshitz, a resident of Kibbutz Nir Oz in Israel,⁣ shared her experience with the Israeli newspaper Davar. She revealed that she confronted Sinwar when he visited the hostages in an⁤ underground​ tunnel where Hamas held⁢ them captive.

“Sinwar was with us three to four days after⁢ we arrived,” Lifshitz told Davar. “I asked him how he is not ashamed to ⁤do‍ such a⁢ thing to people who all ⁤these years have⁢ supported peace.”

“He didn’t answer. He was silent,” ‌she said.

Lifshitz and her husband have been‌ dedicated peace activists, assisting sick Palestinians in Gaza to reach hospitals for many years. Unfortunately, her 83-year-old husband, Oded, was also kidnapped from their home and remains in captivity.

After her ⁢release from Hamas captivity, Lifshitz spoke with reporters and described her harrowing experience during the two weeks she spent as a hostage in the Gaza Strip.

She was​ one of four women​ freed by Hamas early in the conflict. Lifshitz disclosed that she was initially subjected​ to physical abuse upon her abduction but was treated well during her⁢ captivity.

On her release, she even extended her hand to shake that of a masked captor. When asked why, she replied, ​”They treated us ‌gently and met all our needs.”

(Writing by Howard Goller, editing by William Maclean)