On Tuesday, many people gathered at the small cemetery in Kibbutz Nir Oz to say their final goodbye to Oded Lifshitz, one of the kibbutz’s founders. He died while being held hostage by Hamas in Gaza. On Thursday, Hamas returned his body to Israel as part of a ceasefire agreement that paused the fighting in Gaza. Along with Lifshitz, the bodies of three other residents from Nir Oz, Shiri Bibas and her two young sons, were also returned recently. They will be buried on Wednesday.
Oded Lifshitz was 83 years old when he was taken hostage during Hamas’ attack on October 7, 2023. His wife, Yocheved, who is 85, was also kidnapped but was freed after 18 days.
During the funeral, his wife and family spoke about him, and Israeli President Isaac Herzog also shared his thoughts. He asked Lifshitz and his family for forgiveness for not being able to protect them and bring them home safely.
Famous Israeli artists performed at the ceremony. Hen Avigdori, whose wife and daughter were taken hostage but later released, expressed his sadness, saying Lifshitz should be alive with them.
Lifshitz was a respected journalist who fought for Palestinian rights. He worked for Al Hamishmar, a left-leaning newspaper, and reported on important issues over his long career. In the past, he defended the rights of Bedouins in Sinai and reported on the tragic events during the Lebanese civil war.
The Bibas family, especially the two young boys, Kfir (just 9 months old) and Ariel (4 years old), became symbols of the suffering of hostages since the war in Gaza started. Hamas took 251 hostages during the October 7 attack, and, sadly, 62 are still being held in Gaza today.
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