Those we are missing

Taken captive: Oded Lifshitz, drove Gazans to hospitals

The Kibbutz Nir Oz founder is older and requires medical attention, said his daughter in CNN interview

Oded Lifshitz. (Courtesy)
Oded Lifshitz. (Courtesy)

Oded Lifshitz, 83, was taken from Kibbutz Nir Oz on the morning of Saturday, October 7, when Hamas terrorists invaded the Gaza border communities, killing some 1,400, committing atrocities and taking more than 220 Israelis captive.

Lifshitz was initially taken with his wife, Yocheved, 85. At the time, the family learned that Oded Lifshitz’s cell phone was somewhere in Gaza.

On October 23, Yocheved Lifshitz was freed with another captive, Nurit Cooper.

Their daughter, Sharone Lifshitz, had said her mother uses oxygen when she sleeps and suffers from significant back pain.

“They’re no longer the kind of people who can survive without medications,” said Sharone. “Mom was ripped out of her machine; she was sleeping.”

The couple, who were among the founders of Kibbutz Nir Oz, were peace activists and regularly transported patients from Gaza to receive medical treatment in hospitals across Israel.

Oded Lifschitz is a lifelong journalist who wrote for many years for Al-Hamishmar. He’s also a passionate advocate for human rights.

“Their whole house is gone,” said Sharone Lifshitz, one of their daughters, speaking to CNN. “It’s all burned, and that’s the least of it.”

 

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