Freed Israeli hostage describes conditions in 'spider web' of underground Hamas tunnels

An Israeli hostage who was released by Hamas overnight said she was beaten by militants as she was taken into Gaza on Oct. 7 while the whereabouts of herhusband, who was also taken captive,remain unknown.

Yocheved Lifshitz, 85,was freed late Mondayalong with 79-year-old Nurit Cooper, leaving around 220 hostages still in the hands of Hamas.

She was the first of four released hostages so far to speak publicly.

Seated in a wheelchair, a frail-looking Lifshitz told reporters that hercaptors hit her with sticks as theytook her by motorcycle into Gaza. There,they walked for a couple of kilometres in what Lifshitz described as a "spider web" of damp underground tunnels.

"I've been through hell," she said, assisted by her daughter, who translated her remarks from Hebrew to English.

WATCH | The niece of freed hostage speaks to CBC's Adrienne Arsenault:

Vancouver woman relieved after Hamas released aunt held hostage

11 months ago

Duration 2:43

Rutie Mizrahi, the niece of Yocheved Lifshitz, says she's happy and relieved that her aunt was freed by Hamas, but she is still thinking of others who are being held hostage including her uncle, Oded Lifshitz, who she hopes will be released soon.

Hamas took old and young 'without distinction'

Lifshitz and her 83-year old husband, Oded, were kidnapped from their home at the Nir Oz kibbutz, close to the border with Gaza in southern Israel, the Israeli prime minister's office said Monday. Oded remained captive, it said.

"They stormed into our homes. They beat people. They kidnapped others, the old and the young without distinction," she said.

The abductors took off her watch and jewlery as they were driving off with her, she said.

She said initially there were a total of 25 hostages in the tunnel, but after several hours, the captors split off a group of five people from her kibbutz who were held together ina separate room, each with an individual guard who stayed with them 24 hours a day.

They were told they would get the same provisions as their captors, Lifshitz said.

Lifshitz said a doctor visited them every two or three days and brought them the medicines they needed. She told reporters in Hebrew that the hostages lay on mattresses and that their captors ensured conditions were hygienic.

Video of her release on Monday showed her turning around to shake the hand of a masked captor. Asked why she had done that, she replied:

"They treated us gently and met all our needs."

WATCH | First public hostage account of Hamas captivity:

Freed Hamas hostage talks about 'horrific' experience

11 months ago

Duration 1:55

Yocheved Lifshitz with her daughter, Sharone, translating, spoke from a Tel Aviv hospital on Tuesday about being taken and held by Hamas - including the fear and horror of capture and how Hamas provided for her while she was being held.

Death toll in Gaza surpasses 5,700: Hamas officials

Hamas and other militants in Gaza are believed to have taken roughly 220 people, including an unconfirmed number of foreigners and dual citizens.More than 1,400 people werekilled in the Oct. 7 attack by Hamason several communities in southernIsrael, including several Canadians.

The Hamas-run Palestinian health ministry in Gaza said the death toll in two weeks ofIsraeli airstrikeson Gaza in response to the Oct. 7 attack is now over 5,790 people. Reuters has not independently verified those figures.

WATCH | U.S. may have urged Israel to delay offensive:

How an Israeli hostage survived 17 days in Hamas tunnels

11 months ago

Duration 8:00

Hamas has released two Israeli women held hostage in Gaza. Andrew Chang recounts the story of Yocheved Lifshitz, 85. How did she survive, and why was she released?

Israel's military dropped leaflets in Gaza on Tuesday, urging Palestinians to give them information about hostages being held by Hamas and offering them a reward and promising it "will invest maximum effort in providing security for you and your home."

"If your will is to live in peace and to have a better future for your children, do the humanitarian deed immediately and share verified and valuable information about hostages being held in your area," the military said in the leaflet.

U.S. President Joe Biden late Monday welcomed the release of the hostages and underscored the need to sustain "a continuous flow" of humanitarian assistance into Gaza in a telephone call with Netanyahu, the White House said.