A handshake that infuriated her. Why did Israel prevent prisoners from appearing on air?

In a surprising and ambiguous decision, the Israeli authorities announced new decisions regarding the return of prisoners from the Gaza Strip.

The Health Ministry revealed what it called a “treatment protocol” for those who were repatriated to Israel after being captured in the surprise attack launched by the Palestinian movement Hamas on October 7, the Times of Israel”. .

Away from the cameras

Under the new rules, released people will be treated away from cameras, in a separate medical ward, and no one will be able to reach them except their relatives, medical staff and security officials.

However, the Ministry, considered the authority responsible for the mental and physical health of prisoners, did not provide further details on its decision.

However, this came after the country witnessed widespread controversy and criticism surrounding the press conference of octogenarian prisoner Yocheved Lifshitz, who was released by Hamas fighters last Monday.

Yokhved’s statements about how she was treated in captivity were considered a “public relations victory for Hamas”.

“He shook hands with his captor”

Especially after the woman, 85, appeared shaking hands with a fighter from the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, during his release. Many Israelis wondered why the authorities allowed the elderly woman to be shown “shaking hands with one of her kidnappers on the air?!”

She later confirmed that she was treated well during her captivity inside the Gaza tunnels, where she was provided with food and hygiene products, as well as medical care.

He also explained that he ate bread and cheese just like the fighters of the Palestinian movement did and said: “I must give them due rights. They treated us well.”

While clips of his press conference spread widely among Israelis and Palestinians.

Last Monday, Hamas released two elderly Israeli women, Nurit Yitzhak and Lifshitz, for “humanitarian reasons.”

Palestinian armed factions in the Gaza Strip are holding 224 prisoners, the Israeli army announced on Thursday.

While Hamas had previously announced that the factions held between 200 and 250 prisoners.

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