In a harrowing account following her release from Hamas captivity, Israeli national Yocheved Lifshitz narrated her kidnapping experience during the attack on Israel on October 7, which she described as a hellish ordeal.
The 85-year-old grandmother was among two hostages set free by Hamas on Monday. Lifshitz shared her distressing story of being abducted from her residence in Nir Oz’s kibbutz and her subsequent journey to Gaza, during which she endured physical abuse resulting in bruises.

The militants forced her to traverse wet terrain, leading her into an intricate underground tunnel network resembling a spiderweb, where individuals proclaiming their faith in the Quran assured her of no harm. Her daughter, Sharone Lifshitz, relayed her mother’s account to the media outside a Tel Aviv hospital on Tuesday, labeling the tunnels a “massive network.”

Initially, Lifshitz was placed with 25 other captives but was later segregated into a smaller group of five, all from her kibbutz. They slept on tunnel floors, shared meals with Hamas fighters, and had regular medical check-ups during confinement.

Despite the dire circumstances, Lifshitz acknowledged the captors’ efforts in maintaining hygiene to prevent illnesses.

Having endured over two weeks of captivity, Yocheved Lifshitz recounted her ordeal to journalists a day after her release, while the image of her stepping out of an ambulance post-release was captured on video. She criticized the Israel Defense Forces and the Shin Bet intelligence agency for underestimating Hamas threats, citing the ineffective Gaza border fence that failed to shield her community from the onslaught.

The attack culminated on a quiet Saturday morning when Nir Oz was heavily bombarded, followed by a swarm of Hamas fighters breaching the kibbutz fences, leading to a horrific scene that Lifshitz found highly distressing.
As her narrative concluded, Sharone emphasized that the ordeal would only end once Hamas released all the captives.

Lifshitz’s liberation was momentous, bringing hope to the community, especially to her grandson, Daniel, who rushed to her bedside upon hearing the news. The devastating attack left a significant portion of Nir Oz’s population dead or missing, instigating a retaliatory strike by Israel on Gaza, further escalating the conflict.