British-Israeli Sharon Lifschitz, whose parents were taken hostage by Hamas, attends a press conference in London. AFP
British-Israeli Sharon Lifschitz, whose parents were taken hostage by Hamas, attends a press conference in London. AFP
British-Israeli Sharon Lifschitz, whose parents were taken hostage by Hamas, attends a press conference in London. AFP
British-Israeli Sharon Lifschitz, whose parents were taken hostage by Hamas, attends a press conference in London. AFP

Hamas hostage release: Daughter of Yocheved Lifshitz speaks of relief


Soraya Ebrahimi
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A British woman has spoken of her relief that her 85-year-old mother, Yocheved Lifshitz, is now safe after being released from Gaza by Hamas.

Ms Lifshitz and fellow hostage Nurit Cooper, 79, were handed over to the Red Cross at the Rafah crossing on Monday evening and have been transferred to Israel.

Their husbands, including Ms Lifshitz’s father, remain in captivity.

Although both women released by Hamas were Israelis, one of the women has family in the UK, the Foreign Office confirmed.

“I can confirm that my mother Yochi Lifshitz was one of two hostages released to the Red Cross this evening,” Sharone Lifshitz said.

“While I cannot put into words the relief that she is now safe, I will remain focused on securing the release of my father and all those, some 200 innocent people, who remain hostages in Gaza.”

Speaking to the BBC at her mother’s bedside in Tel Aviv on Tuesday, Ms Lifshitz said both she and her mother still dreamed of peace with Palestinians.

Ms Lifshitz said: "We have to find ways because there is no alternative.

"If anything, it makes me even more resolved.

"The way has got longer - we are dealing with grief and loss on a level we can never get over, but as nations we will have to find a way forward."

She said her father, who is also in his 80s, is "very involved" in campaigning for the rights of Palestinians and for peace.

"It's the tragedy that so many of the people killed were the immediate neighbours of Gaza who truly believed in working towards peace and who thought that was very much possible.

"It's a twist of history that these peace-loving communities were the ones that sustained such a horrendous massacre."

A spokeswoman for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said: “We welcome the release of a further two hostages this evening.

“Our thoughts remain with the families of loved ones still being held captive, as they endure unimaginable anguish and worry at this time.

“We will continue to work tirelessly with Qatar, Israel and others to ensure all hostages come home safely.”

London rally calls on Hamas to release hostages – in pictures

The two freed hostages, Ms Lifshitz, 85, and Ms Cooper, 79, were taken out of Gaza at the Rafah crossing into Egypt, where they were put into ambulances, according to footage shown on Egyptian TV.

The two women and their husbands were taken from their homes in the kibbutz of Nir Oz near the Gaza border during Hamas's October 7 attack.

Their husbands have not been released.

Hamas said it had released the two women for humanitarian reasons, days after freeing an American woman and her teenage daughter.

Ms Lifshitz, from London, had spoken to the media earlier on Monday about how she had not heard from either of her parents since Hamas's attack more than two weeks ago that left 1,400 people dead.

She described them as having complex health needs, telling Times Radio that her father had experienced high blood pressure the night before he was captured.

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Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
 
Based: Tunisia 
 
Sector: Water technology 
 
Number of staff: 22 
 
Investment raised: $4 million 
Biography

Favourite drink: Must have karak chai and Chinese tea every day

Favourite non-Chinese food: Arabic sweets and Indian puri, small round bread of wheat flour

Favourite Chinese dish: Spicy boiled fish or anything cooked by her mother because of its flavour

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Enjoys reading: Chinese novels, romantic comedies, reading up on business trends, government policy changes

Favourite book: Chairman Mao Zedong’s poems

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Company name/date started: Abwaab Technologies / September 2019

Founders: Hamdi Tabbaa, co-founder and CEO. Hussein Alsarabi, co-founder and CTO

Based: Amman, Jordan

Sector: Education Technology

Size (employees/revenue): Total team size: 65. Full-time employees: 25. Revenue undisclosed

Stage: early-stage startup 

Investors: Adam Tech Ventures, Endure Capital, Equitrust, the World Bank-backed Innovative Startups SMEs Fund, a London investment fund, a number of former and current executives from Uber and Netflix, among others.

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5pm: Conditions (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m | Winner: AF Tahoonah, Richard Mullen (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)

5.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh90,000 1,400m | Winner: Ajwad, Gerald Avranche, Rashed Bouresly

6pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m | Winner: RB Lam Tara, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel

6.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m | Winner: Duc De Faust, Szczepan Mazur, Younis Al Kalbani

7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) Dh70,000 2,200m | Winner: Shareef KB, Fabrice Veron, Ernst Oertel

7.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh90,000 1,500m | Winner: Bainoona, Pat Cosgrave, Eric Lemartinel

Results:

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5.30pm: UAE Arabian Derby (PA) | Prestige | Dh150,000 | 2,200m

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6.30pm: Emirates Championship (PA) | Group 1 | Dh1million | 2,200m

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7pm: Abu Dhabi Championship (TB) | Group 3 | Dh380,000 | 2,200m

Winner: GM Hopkins, Patrick Cosgrave, Jaber Ramadhan

7.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) | Conditions | Dh70,000 | 1,600m

Winner: AF La’Asae, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel

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Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979

Education: UAE University, Al Ain

Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6

Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma

Favourite book: Science and geology

Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC

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5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m

Winner: Alnawar, Connor Beasley (jockey), Helal Al Alawi (trainer)

5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m

Winner: Raniah, Noel Garbutt, Ernst Oertel

6pm: Handicap (PA) Dh90,000 2,200m

Winner: Saarookh, Richard Mullen, Ana Mendez

6.30pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Jewel Crown (PA) Rated Conditions Dh125,000 1,600m

Winner: RB Torch, Tadhg O’Shea, Eric Lemartinel

7pm: Al Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap Dh70,000 1,600m

Winner: MH Wari, Antonio Fresu, Elise Jeane

7.30pm: Handicap Dh90,000 1,600m

Winner: Mailshot, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer

 

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Updated: October 24, 2023, 10:24 AM`