Israeli man, 83, who ‘drove Palestinians to hospital’ abducted by Hamas

A British woman whose elderly parents were abducted by Hamas has pleaded for their return saying ‘they are not the enemy’.

Sharone Lifschitz, 52, said her mum, 85, and 83-year-old dad were taken hostage from their home in Nir Oz near the Gaza border.

She said her parents told her they could ‘hear gunfire’ but they ‘felt safe’ on Saturday, but they have not been heard from since.

Mrs Lifschitz late saw a video of a journalist standing directly behind her parents’ house.

The journalist said in Arabic: ‘We have now conquered Nir Oz.’

She said around 90 people from the kibbutz remain missing.

Mrs Lifschitz told MailOnline: ‘My father is 83 and my mother is 85. She needs oxygen and he has a lung disease. They cannot survive on their own in this environment. 

‘What kind of person would do this? In my life I just cannot imagine a type of person that could do this.

Sharone Lifschitz said her father drove Palestinians to hospital

Mrs Lifschitz said she wants the Israel defense force to bring hostages home (Picture: AFP)

‘My father is not the enemy. He spent his retirement driving Palestinians from the border to and from the hospital. He is not the enemy. He believes in humanity in all people.’

Mrs Lifschitz also said her said her father ‘needs medication’ and she is not sure how long ‘he will survive’.

‘My father had many Pelestinian friends, he drove those which were ill because he did not believe they are our enemy, he believed they needed medical treatment,’ she said on Good Morning Britain.

‘He spent hours going to the border and doing his basic duty as a human being.

‘I don’t know if he can survive without his medication.’

An aerial view of destroyed buildings and debris at the Jabalia neighborhood (Picture: Stringer/Anadolu)

She added: ‘The time is short and it is running out – they will not survive. We cannot sit here and talk about who’s done what. Not until we’ve brought them home. 

‘I have no idea why the Israel Defense Force are taking so long to save people, there has been a colossal failure, we have to talk about these hostages and bring them back home.’

The war, which has claimed at least 2,100 lives on both sides, is only expected to escalate as Israel remains determined to crush the militant group.

In Israel, at least 1,200 have been killed, while officials in Gaza say 900 people have been killed.

At least 140 Palestinian children have been killed by the Israeli military as they launched an offensive on Gaza over the weekend, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

Israeli forces vowed to turn the Gaza Strip into ‘rubble’ following the surprise attack by Hamas on October 7 and have launched retaliatory strikes in over 200 locations.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.