Yocheved Lifshitz

Yocheved, a former physical education teacher turned photographer, and her husband Oded Lifshitz, an 83-year-old retired journalist and founding member of Kibbutz Nir Oz, are deeply committed to peace. They have dedicated over a decade to volunteering with "The Road to Recovery" (בדרך להחלמה), an Israeli organization aiding Palestinian citizens in accessing medical care by providing transportation from the Gaza border to Israeli hospitals. The couple are parents to four children and blessed with grandchildren and a great-grandchild.
Yocheved and Oded were kidnapped from their home during the Nir Oz massacre on October 7, 2023, by Hamas terrorists, who also set their home ablaze. Their daughter Sharon has voiced concerns for their well-being, noting their need for medication and Yocheved's use of an oxygen mask for sleep.
On humanitarian grounds, Yocheved and her neighbor, Nurit Cooper, aged 79, were released after 17 days in captivity. Yocheved recounts the harrowing ordeal, emphasizing the indiscriminate nature of the kidnappings by the terrorists, affecting both the elderly and the young. Yocheved described her time in captivity as hell. She said: “We never imagined we would get to this situation. They (Hamas terrorists) ran like crazy at our kibbutz. They kidnapped me; laid me on my side on a motorcycle and took me through the plowed fields into Gaza. They blew up the fence. Crowds of Gazans stormed our houses, beat people, and kidnapped some."
While Yocheved is now free, Oded remains captive, his presence sorely missed by his family and the entire community.