Kidnapped by Hamas during the attack on Israeli civilians on October 7, Yocheved Lifschitz was held as a hostage until her release on October 23. Aged 85, she was released at the same time as another woman, Nurit Cooper, aged 79, for “pressing humanitarian reasons”, according to Hamas.
The octogenarian addressed the issues of his kidnapping and his conditions of detention during a press conference given on Tuesday October 24. The comments made by Yocheved Lifschitz, taken up by the press in articles and videos, provoked numerous reactions, suggesting that the media lacked honesty in reporting comments that appeared contradictory.
The journalist from the Qatari channel Al Jazeera Wassila Oulmi, for example, shared two screenshots from the BBC and BBC Arabic accounts on X, accusing the media of presenting “two different novels to two different audiences in two different languages. »
The first publication, from the BBC World account, is an article headlined in English: “I went through hell, says elderly hostage released by Hamas”. The second, shared by BBC Arabic, includes a screenshot of a report on the hostage, which reads (in Arabic): “They treated us well and took care of all the details.”
In France, Gilles-William Goldnadel, Franco-Israeli columnist for CNews and THE Figaro, was outraged by a sequence broadcast on France Inter. In its publication, he asserts: “Another lie from France Inter. Just now public abuse reporter claims elderly woman taken hostage and released says she was ”treated well”. I heard her interview in Hebrew where she says she was beaten. »
FAKE OFF
It is true that the ex-hostage explained that she “experienced horror”, in the same way that she subsequently explained that her captors “behaved well” with the hostages.
The complete sequence of the press conference given Tuesday by Yocheved Lifschitz, assisted by his daughter Sharone Lifschitz, can be found on the I24 website, a news channel based in Israel. As we can hear it in French through the voice of the translator, the ex-hostage begins by indicating: “I want to tell you the truth, I experienced a horror that I never thought could be possible. »
Yocheved Lifschitz describes how she was transported on a motorcycle surrounded by two men “through the fields” towards Gaza. This is the moment where she explains: “They hit me, they didn’t break my ribs but they hurt me very, very badly and I had a lot of trouble breathing. »
Subsequently, as she discusses her conditions of detention, Yocheved Lifschitz reports: “They took good care of the health side so that we did not get sick, we had a doctor who came every two or three days. » She continues: “They behaved well with us, they took care of us, [il y avait] many women who know what feminine hygiene problems are. »
Asked about her gesture towards a Hamas fighter
Subsequently, Yocheved Lifschitz will answer a question from a journalist, who asks her about the fact that she was filmed holding the hand of a Hamas soldier during her release.
“They took care of us very well, they responded to all our needs,” reports the translator. “My mother says they treated them kindly and took care of them,” her daughter then translates.
According to the Israeli army, 224 people are still being held by Hamas. Nine French people are also missing, probably hostages in Gaza.