Released Israeli woman says she was treated well in Hamas captivity

ANKARA (AA) – An elderly Israeli woman released Monday from captivity with Hamas said she was treated well during her two weeks with the Palestinian group.

Speaking to journalists on Tuesday, Yocheved Lifshitz, 85, said Hamas provided her a doctor to monitor her health and worked to secure her medicine.

She added that her Hamas captors took care of her needs. “We ate bread, white cheese and cucumbers, just like them.”

“They told us they believe in the Quran and wouldn’t harm us,” she also said.

Asked why she shook hands with one of the Hamas members during her release, she said they “treated us well and took care of all our needs.”

Late on Monday, Hamas’ military wing the Al-Qassam Brigades said it had released two Israeli captives – Yocheved Lifshitz and Nurit Cooper, 79 – for “compelling humanitarian reasons.”

An Al-Qassam spokesman said the release came through mediation with Qatar and Egypt.

The Israeli government did not comment on the development, the second release of a pair of captives since the conflict began on Oct. 7. The first release was of Americans.

The brigades said in an earlier statement that it is holding some 200-250 people in captivity, including Israeli soldiers and civilians.

The conflict in Gaza, under Israeli bombardment and blockade since Oct. 7, began when Hamas initiated Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, a multi-pronged surprise attack that included a barrage of rocket launches and infiltrations into Israel by land, sea, and air. It said the incursion was in retaliation for the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and growing violence by Israeli settlers.

The Israeli military then launched a relentless bombardment of the Gaza Strip, along with stepping up raids and arrests in the occupied West Bank.