Headline: Elderly Peace Advocate's Body Returned from Gaza, Israeli Family in Mourning
From her residence in East London, Sharone Lifschitz, a British-Israeli woman, held an unwavering belief that her father, Oded Lifschitz, would escape the terrifying hostage situation in Hamas. An advocate for peace and friend of the Palestinians, the 84-year-old had been held captive for over 500 days.
On October 7, Palestinian gunmen abducted Oded from his home and transported him to Gaza. His death occurred during his captivity, and his body was returned to his family on Thursday, leaving them shattered, especially his wife, Yocheved. She too had been a captive but had earlier been released, only to find out that she would not be reunited with her partner of 63 years.
The head of Israel's National Institute of Forensic Medicine confirmed the identification of Oded's body, stating that he had been killed while in captivity over a year ago. The Israeli Prime Minister's Office denounced the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization for his murder.
During the ceasefire announcement last month, Sharone, a filmmaker and academic, was at home. Overwhelmed with relief and hope, she tearfully looked forward to finally learning the fate of her father. Sharone acknowledged that the odds of her elderly father surviving were slim, but she clung to the belief that miracles were possible.
Sharone has consistently been a strong and dignified advocate for the release of her father and other hostages. Her father, she insisted, did not deserve this fate, but she understood that further mourning was inevitable.
Oded Lifschitz, a journalist and longstanding peace activist, was known for his efforts to assist ailing Palestinians seeking treatment in Israeli hospitals. In his advocacy for Palestinian rights, he had the opportunity to meet Yasser Arafat, then head of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO). Oded was a founding member of Kibbutz Nir Oz, where he lived and was abducted.
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer expressed deep sorrow over Oded's passing and offered his heartfelt condolences to the family. He commended Sharone's remarkable strength under challenging circumstances and hoped that the peace Oded had been advocating for would be realized.
The October 7 attacks led to the deaths of approximately 1,200 individuals, primarily civilians, and the abduction of 251 others, including Oded and Yocheved. This triggered a vast military response from Israel against Hamas, resulting in the deaths of at least 48,297 Palestinians, mostly civilians.
On Thursday, three more bodies were returned by Hamas, claimed to be Shiri Bibas, 33, and her two young sons. However, Israeli military officials disputed this claim, insisting the body was not that of Ms. Bibas.
Oded's wife Yocheved, released by Hamas in 2023, had a face-to-face encounter with then-Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar while held captive underground in Gaza. She expressed her disapproval of his actions.
The family's British legal team praised Yocheved's extraordinary character, pointing out her encounters with Sinwar, Netanyahu, and the Pope, and her outspokenness in all these meetings. After receiving a peace award for her advocacy for the hostages, Yocheved said of her late husband, "Oded was a great fighter for peace. He had very good relations with Palestinians and the thing that hurts the most is they betrayed him."
Following 503 distressing days of uncertainty, the family can now grieve for Oded, a husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, although they had hoped for a different outcome.