‘I was in tears’: B.C. woman’s aunt among 2 latest hostages released by Hamas

VANCOUVER –

The niece of an Israeli couple kidnapped by Hamas during a surprise attack earlier this month said she is relieved to learn of her aunt’s release – but she remains deeply worried about her uncle.

Rutie Mizrahi, a Canadian-Israeli living in Vancouver, told CTV News she’s been filled with dread since her relatives, Yocheved and Oded Lifshitz, were abducted by Hamas along with hundreds of others captives.

On Monday, the International Committee of the Red Cross confirmed her 85-year-old aunt had been freed along with one other hostage, 79-year-old Nurit Cooper.

“I was actually in tears since I heard,” Mizrahi told CTV News. “I can’t wait for her to be home.”

Mizrahi said the only thing she knows about her aunt Yocheved’s condition comes from videos, in which the senior appears to be healthy. She has received no information about the status of her 83-year-old uncle.

“We know nothing about him,” Mizrahi said. “I don’t even know if they were kept together or if they were separated, so I’m not even sure that we’ll get any new details now when (my aunt) comes home.”

She described Oded as a peace advocate who fought for human rights “all over the world,” but focused most of his attention on Gaza and Israel.

The family previously revealed that the Lifshitz’s home in the kibbutz community of Nir Oz was burned down during the violence that erupted when members of Hamas – which has been declared a terrorist group by many Western nations, including Canada – stormed into Israel on Oct. 7.

“They have nothing left,” Mizrahi said of her aunt and uncle. “It’s really hard to believe that something like this can happen.”

This is a developing story and will be updated.

With files from The Associated Press