The niece of one of the two hostages released by Hamas on Monday breathed a sigh of relief that her aunt was now safe and now hopes that the movement will release her uncle as well.
Ruti Mizrahi, the niece of Yocheved Lifshitz, the 85-year-old hostage who was released Monday on humanitarian grounds, shared her joy in interviews with CTV and CBC.
“I was really happy and relieved. I really couldn’t believe it. Two weeks ago, I couldn’t believe they had been kidnapped,” Ms. Mizrahi, who lives in Vancouver, told CBC.
“I’ve been in tears ever since I found out. I can’t wait any longer for her to come home,” she told CTV.
Mrs. Mizrahi said that she does not know what her aunt’s condition is, as she suffers from Parkinson’s disease and needs oxygen to sleep.
The woman also does not know what happened to her uncle, Oded Lifshitz (83 years old), who was also taken hostage by Hamas and brought to the Gaza Strip. Since she has not yet been able to talk to her aunt, she does not know if she is with her partner.
The octogenarians have been described as peace activists. His grandson, Daniel Lifshitz, told Reuters that Oded Lifshitz specifically organized the transfer of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip to Israeli hospitals so they could be treated.
Yocheved Lifshitz was released at the same time as Nurit Cooper, 79, with the help of the Red Cross, which organized their transfer. This is the second time that Hamas has released hostages, after the release of an American woman and her daughter on Friday.
